D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver
by Ten-Faced Paladin
Summary: The game has always been played with paper and pencil. Now a group of players will take the adventure to a new level and explore the world they only heard of in books and on the tabletop. It becomes a race against the forces of the Black Spider to discover the Lost Mine of Phandelver.
1. Character Creation

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons, the game which I fell in love with after being curious for so long.

**The D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Prologue: Character Creation**

The sound of a door chime echoed as the door to the comic/hobby store opened and another customer stepped inside. It was a humble shop which boasted the things most kids and young adults who learned of gaming outside of a computer looked to for fun and amusement. One side of the room had a number of comics and hobby magazines displayed for anyone to peruse through. On the other side was the cashier counter, a glass one which had a number of limited edition or rare trading cards for sale. The back shelf was filled with packs of trading cards from a number of different games, all of them the most recent series.

The young man which stepped in seemed to be of the average sort. He was around six feet tall with slightly shaggy brown hair from lack of a haircut. He wore a simple dark red t-shirt and jeans with his hands in his pockets. He was hardly intimidating-looking, his height aside, and smiled to the man attending the counter with a have.

"Hey Bill. How's business?" the young man asked with a smile.

"Good enough. Although I think you want to make a contribution to that, eh Miles?" the man at the counter grinned back. He was an older man with his hair white and he wore glasses. An oddity of him was that one eye was glass, but that was only noticeable since that eye never moved. No one mentioned it out of politeness and everyone was at least acquainted with Bill anyway and never really wondered.

B&J's Books and Comics was the local hangout for the hobby gamers and trading card enthusiasts. For such a small-time store, Bill really managed to draw in the business. He held card tournaments every time a new expansion was announced or on Friday nights with themed tournaments every month. He offered space for _Dungeons and Dragons_ games, although those were for special occasions or for those who wanted a game store atmosphere for their YouTube gaming channels.

Miles Jones was a long-time customer, having discovered the store when he was fifteen and had been a dedicated customer ever since. Now at nineteen and preparing for university, he was visiting the store more since his school was in another city altogether and he wouldn't be able to visit as much.

"Ah, you know me. I have to buy something every time I'm here," Miles grinned.

Miles was a dedicated hobby gamer, although he loved to play whenever he got the chance. He picked up the card games while he was in school and it evolved into the more advanced games like _Dungeons and Dragons_ which he soon formed his own adventuring group with. He was constantly getting new adventures, option booklets, and other accessories from the store to make his adventures better.

Bill chuckled, "Well, you know where all the Dungeons and Dragons merchandise is. Or are you looking for something specific?"

Miles approached the counter while scratching his head, "Well, since me and the group will be splitting up for the school year in at the end of the summer, we all decided we'd try to pull out one mega adventure. Several adventures in a marathon. The only issue is that I'm one short since I let my cousins borrow it last time they were around. So I need an emergency replacement or else I'm sunk."

Bill nodded, leaning over the encounter, "Well, I probably have copies of the one you lent out, but I know it would be kind of foolish to just charge you for that. I do think I've got a few books packed away somewhere."

Bill gestured for Miles to wait before he turned and walked to a door behind the counter. Stepping inside, he walked to the stocked merchandise boxes he had. Being rather meticulous in his organization, Bill immediately knew where his merchandise was. Finding the boxes in question, he picked out the manifests list from each box, checking over what was inside. Thanks to Miles being such a frequent customer, including his tournament nights, Bill was aware of which adventures he played.

"Done it, done it, done it," Bill muttered before he came to the bottom of the list.

"Anthology? When did I order that? Ah well." Bill knew he had impulse buying of his own and if he saw something out of the norm for his customers, he'd try to sell it since he knew the gamers loved extra content.

Opening the box, Bill blinked when he saw the anthology item sitting on the top. It looked like a leather bound book, made to look like a wizard's spell book. On the front was the familiar D&D symbol with the & looking like a dragon spraying a blast of fire. It was buckled shut, likely made to look like the real thing. Bill smiled at the item, knowing it was just the type of thing that Miles would go for.

Checking the cost of the item and doing some math to set the price, Bill brought the book out to where Miles was waiting, looking over the single cards for sale. Bill approached the counter and set the book down, making Miles blink at the sight, "Wow. Where'd you find this?"

"The usual sources," Bill shrugged. "Anyway, it's an anthology of adventures. Take a look and tell me what you think."

Miles eagerly did so, undoing the clasps of the book before opening it. The pages were like parchment, enhancing the look of a spell book. Flipping over the first pages, there were ink and charcoal-looking sketches of humans, monsters and treasures. A few more pages, and a table of contents was found, the letters looking like flowing elaborate script.

"_Lost Mine of Phandelver, Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Rise of Tiamat, Princes of the Apocalypse…_Yeah, these are all brand new to me," Miles grinned. "Oh this is going to rock!"

"Glad you like it," Bill nodded. "Ready for the price tag?"

"Lay it on me," Miles nodded, reaching for his wallet.

Bill recited the price he calculated and Miles winced, but he paid for it anyway. Once the transaction was complete, Miles was off like a shot. Managing an adventure took time to prepare and one of the first things to do was read the adventure you wanted the group to go on. He had a few hours before his friends would begin to arrive. That might be just long enough to get through two of the adventures and make note of the things he wished to change.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

Miles arrived home in short order. He had a lot of reading and some note taking to do and he wanted to get it done as quickly as he could. Moving to his room, he set the anthology down on his desk along with the other documents and supplements which came with his D&D adventures. A lot of it was rules still in playtesting, themed attributed, homemade rules, and the like. Not paying attention, he moved to go to the bathroom and grab a snack before he settled in for some reading.

Left alone the book seemed quite innocent. For a few moments after Miles left the room, it remained that way. Then, the dragon on the cover seemed to shuffle, slither, and shake before the pages of the book began to glow. Around it, the papers, booklets, and other supplements to _Dungeons and Dragons_ flashed gold before golden copies of every letter, title, and diagram were lifted off of the papers and pulled into the book. The process only took seconds before it finished, leaving the other documents untouched and the book as innocent as ever.

However, the forces behind the book were pleased that their future heroes had so many more options now.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

"Alright guys, you all know the drill. Let's get down to some adventuring," Miles grinned as he led his friends down to the basement. There in the game room (not just for D&D, but the poker parties and other games his parents enjoyed) with a large table already set up with snacks at the sides. The leather-bound book was set behind a folding board which depicted several people fighting against a large red dragon.

Miles took a seat at his chair behind the Dungeon Master's screen where his notebook and writing utensils were set up and waiting for him.

Sitting on the right side of the table was a girl his age. She was a girl with short brown hair with a simple red shirt and a denim jacket with jeans of her own. She didn't try to stand out, only having an average figure and didn't wear an outfit to show off, but merely seem reasonably fashionable. Her name was Rachel Gray and the one who introduced Miles to D&D when they met at Bill's during a card tournament.

Across from Miles was the second boy of the group. He had short black hair and wore black jeans and a black shirt, sporting silver bracelets. He wasn't a goth, although to the people who didn't know the scene very well he sure seemed like one. He just liked the fashion and the colors. His name was Kyle Murphy.

The last girl of the group across from Rachel seemed to be the most fashion conscious, wearing more modern fashions of a white top with a denim jacket with shorts and even had painted toenails. Her blonde hair was long with red highlights and trailed down to her shoulders. Her name was Tonia Marsh. She was one of the girls who could get along with any clique in school and she fit right in with the group of adventurers, finding the games fun and exciting. She actually aspired to be a writer so D&D fit right into her normal hobbies.

"Oooh, new adventure?" Rachel grinned as she saw the book on the table.

"An anthology," Miles grinned as his friends took their seats. "We've got adventures for days here. Perfect for a marathon run."

"Sweet," Kyle whooped. "So are we waiting for Steve or what?"

"Nah. He called and said he'd be late," Miles shook his head. "So he said to create him a character and he'd have it meet up with us later."

"Then let's get started!" Tonia nodded, taking a character creation sheet. "So do we have a theme this time? I mean, usually when we marathon or have a holiday, we do some kind of theme."

"Like at Christmas and we all took those holiday-themed archetypes," Rachel snickered. "Or when Kyle here had our characters team up like power rangers. We were color-coded and hamming it up then."

"And kicking bad guy ass the whole way," Kyle defended.

"Kind of funny when the dragon laughed at us when we tried the roll call with it though," Miles snickered.

"Oh yeah," Rachel agreed. "Still, we could use a theme. I mean, this is our last marathon before we split up for school. Sure, we could go through cameras online but it won't be the same. So why don't we have a theme of originals? Just the stuff from the player's handbook. No additions, no supplements, just the core game."

"Cool. It's like revisiting when we all started playing in grade nine," Tonia nodded.

"Works for me," Kyle agreed.

"Okay. We are settled then," Miles nodded, taking a character creation sheet of his own. "So let's get down to business then. We've got adventurers to create."

Dungeons and Dragons was a story-driven game, which meant that characters had to have a fair amount of stats to reflect how they interacted with the world they would have their adventure in. So characters would have certain stats based off of their species as well as what kind of class they were and what kind of background they had. They could be Lawful Good nobility all the way down to the Chaotic Evil Criminals and it would reflect in their skills.

Each character had six statistics which created their baselines. Those stats were:

Strength, which measured physical power.

Dexterity, which measured agility

Constitution, which measured endurance

Intelligence, which measured reasoning and memory.

Wisdom, measuring perception and insight

Charisma, measuring force of personality.

From those six stats came a number of abilities which the characters could be proficient in. They couldn't master them all, like how no one in real life could master everything. It was a moderate list of abilities that all stemmed from the original six abilities. Strength governed athletics. Dexterity governed Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. Constitution didn't govern any skills, but was rather a passive ability. Intelligence connected to the Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skills. Wisdom led to Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival skills. Finally, Charisma was the ability connected to Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills.

Another aspect which filled more of the roleplay than mechanics was the personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws of the characters. They were more for the current personality of the characters and made the game more fun. The personality traits were that characters quirks and daily habits. The ideal was what they truly believed in, something which shaped them. The bond was something which had a character connected to something, be it a goal or a connection to something or someone precious. The flaw was the tidbit which someone could exploit or a quirk which could bring the character to ruin if they didn't watch themselves.

Classes were more or less jobs the characters took, giving them a current skillset to work with when they were on their adventure. The classes were:

Barbarian: the free wanderers of the wilderness

Bard: the magical musicians and entertainers

Cleric: A servant of the gods

Druid: the worshipers of nature itself

Fighter: the martially-minded soldier

Monk: the enlightened martial artist

Paladin: the righteous warrior of good

Ranger: the hunters of beast and monster alike

Rogue: the stealthy scoundrels of civilization

Sorcerer: the wellspring of pure mana

Warlock: the servant of supernatural forces besides the gods

Wizard: the arcane scholars of magic

Before anyone could pick which class they were though, it all came down to which species they wanted to be. Since the group was going to be going by core rules without any of the added material, they only had seven to choose from.

Human: the standard being and most populous, but also the most varied.

Dwarf: the hardy and hairy minders of the mountains

Elves: the graceful and nigh-immortal nobles

Gnome: the tiny tinkers who love a good joke.

Halfling: the good-hearted and joyful farming folk.

Tiefling: unfortunate souls born from the union of a human and a fiend.

Dragonborn: dragon-like humanoids who hailed from another land.

The four players wrote in the blanks on their sheets, checking the player's manual as they did so. They rolled their dice to determine their stats and put in the numbers they got. After several moments, they managed to get their characters finished.

"Okay," Miles nodded, writing in the last bit of information. "So let's hear it people. Who do we have?"

"I'll go first," Tonia offered. "Her name's Medea Argos. She's a half-elf from a Noble background who is also a Wizard, or maybe you could call her a Witch?"

"Interesting idea. So what's her story?" asked Miles.

"Well, she's always fashionable and puts a lot of effort into looking her best. She's fiercely independent though, wanting to prove she's more than just her family name. She'll face any challenge to win her family's approval as a person, rather than just a political pawn. However, she does hide a truly shameful secret which could haunt her family for some time."

"Oh, a dirty secret," Rachel grinned. "Scandalous."

"Yes. You see, she got involved with a man who she thought she was in love with. Despite all of her schooling, she was rather naïve to the world. He convinced her to use her magic to help him in what she thought was harmless tasks. In truth though, they were crimes he used to help his own station or line his pockets. She would have eventually done worse, but she spotted him using the same loving words he spoke to her on another woman one day at a party neither knew the other was attending. Heartbroken and determined not to let it happen again, Medea took up adventuring so she could learn about the world and perhaps mend her own heart in the process."

"Only you could turn D&D into a romance," Kyle smirked, shaking his head.

"Hush you. Anyway, she has 8 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 18 Constitution, 19 Intelligence, 11 Wisdom, and 14 Charisma. She's proficient in Arcana, History, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, and Religion." Tonia checked her papers, "So her modifiers are -1, +2, +4, +4, +0, and +2 in that order."

"Sounds okay for a Wizard," Miles nodded, making a note. "Okay, who's next?"

"I suppose I can go," Kyle nodded. "My guy's name is Rael Xiloscient. He's a Wood Elf Paladin who's got the Folk Hero background."

"How'd that happen?" asked Rachel.

"Simple. A band of Orcs ended up near the forest and weren't shy in starting to chop everything down and hunt any animal they could get their hands on. That included everyone and everything in the village nearby," Kyle explained. "Rael and some friends found them and decided to do something about it. They managed to drive the orcs out with Rael killing the leader and it changed his life. So rather than just react to enemies, Rael wanted to go out and deal with them, which led him to leaving and getting training as a paladin, some of the elite fighters in the world. Now he's on the forefront, exploring all the natural wonders of the world and fighting any evil threatening it."

"Cool," Miles nodded. "So what are his characteristics and stats?"

"Well, Rael is confident in his own skills and tries to pass that confidence to others," Kyle answered. "His strongest ideal is to respect everyone since they deserve it until they do something to earn scorn. As a paladin, his bond is to protect people who can't protect themselves. His major flaw is that he's still young in elf terms. He doesn't have his adult name yet, so he can be a bit impulsive still."

"Ah, aren't we all," Miles chuckled. "And his stats?"

"Strength is 16, Dexterity 15, Constitution 13, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 13, and Charisma 14," the elf player answered. "So that makes the modifiers, +3, +2, +1, +0, +1 and +2."

"Got it," Miles nodded. "Okay, Rachel?"

"May I introduce Kathra Fireforge," Rachel lifted her paper. "She's a Mountain Dwarf, or a Shield Dwarf as the locals of Faerun call them. She's a Clan Crafter and-!"

"Wait, that isn't in the player's handbook," Kyle spoke up.

"It's in the _Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide_. It's the campaign setting, which counts as core content,"

Rachel smirked. "Anyway, she was trained as a blacksmith by her people, but she doesn't just want to learn everything her people know, but advance it by learning more. So she got into adventuring in order to see what other works of blacksmithing are out there in hopes of copying the techniques and bringing them back home."

"Well, it's a bit more altruistic than some adventurers," Miles nodded, making note of the story. "So what are her characteristics and stats?"

Rachel set her paper down as she replied, "Well, she's a total perfectionist at her work. Nothing but her best effort in anything. She aspires to be the best there is and one day return home to prove to her clan that she is the best. Her main flaw though is that she gets _really_ jealous of people who made something better than her. She sees rivals everywhere."

"Like most ambitious dwarves then," Tonia teased, earning a raspberry from Rachel.

"Anyway, her stats are Strength 17, Dexterity 16, Constitution 16, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 14, and Charisma 10. So that makes her modifiers are +3, +3, +3, +2, +2, and +0."

"Looks like the Fighter's lucked out," Miles grinned, taking the notes for Rachel's character. "Okay, and Steve's character here will join you guys later. His name is Dorn Evenwood, a human Ranger."

"Woo, he's going to stand out like a sore thumb in this group," Tonia grimaced.

"Meh, if he cared about things like that he wouldn't be a ranger," Miles shrugged. "Anyway, he's an outlander, meaning he was raised by a clan in the wilderness. He's explored every inch of it and now wants to explore the world now that he's got the supplies and cash to do it. His ideal is the changing world and being able to change with it, although he holds his clan as the most important thing. His flaw though is that he tends to throw caution to the wind in his desire to live life to the fullest."

"He'll get along with Rael in that case," Kyle grinned. "So what skills does he have to help us?"

"15 Strength, 17 Dexterity, 16 Constitution, 14 Intelligence, 17 Wisdom, and 13 Charisma," Miles answered, "So, +2, +3, +3, +2, +3, +1"

"Damn you and your good rolls," Rachel shook her head.

"Oh like you were any worse," Tonia pouted. "I'm the one who got a -1 for a Strength Modifier."

"Not like you'll use it since you're a wizard," Rachel retorted.

Miles clapped his hands, ending the small spat, "Okay, our characters are ready to roll. Now, we just need the stage. All of you buckle in and get ready as we follow the trail of riches once thought lost and intrigue and backstabbing all around the corner. We're about to set out on a quest for the _Lost Mine of Phandelver_."

As the words left Miles' mouth, the book in the middle of the table suddenly jerked with a loud thud. All eyes turned to it. At first, they all thought they were just hearing things or someone had been above them. The book then opened itself the pages blank but almost glowing. Around it, the sheets the players used to create their characters were drawn to the book before vanishing into it. With them, the sets of polyhedral dice set in front of each player were drawn into the pages.

On the pages themselves, sketches began to make themselves, depicting four fantasy genre characters. A dwarf, an elf, a half-elf, and a human. The four players could only blink, but that was all they could do before their own bodies became covered in a golden aura. Tonia let out a mute shriek while Kyle attempted to run before all four of them vanished and the aura was drawn into the book, filling the sketches with color. Once the sketches were colored, the book flipped over to near the beginning where an image of a dragon fighting a group of adventurers underground was seen with a title over it.

_Lost Mine of Phandelver_

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

"AHHHHHHH!"

The world spun for the four players before they collapsed. Groans echoed from the pile as they felt their senses come back. Getting up and pulling away, they all took in their surroundings finding themselves in a cozy tavern-like atmosphere. Hunting trophies line the walls and there were even tapestries from the railing above. A warm fire crackled from a nearby hearth, but the four players were anything but calm.

"Guys, what-?" one of the men asked before he turned to see his friends. He stopped and gaped, "What the hell?!"

The group began looking at each other and began making the same exclamations as none of them appeared now as they did outside of the book.

The first of the two females was a beautiful woman, obviously someone who looked like a princess. She sported a blue and gold corset on top of a black blouse with a blue shawl over her shoulders and a long dark blue skirt. She had shoulder length blue hair with a braid tied near her temple. Her eyes were lilac and she was pretty with pale skin, but she also had rather pointed ears, marking a non-human ancestry. Around her neck hung a crystal which glowed slightly with purple light, although no one was in the state of mind to notice it.

The first of the males was an almost fairy-like man with a lithe build but donned in green chainmail with green armor over his arms and legs, marked with crawling ivy decoration. Two swords were on either hip and his skin was almost like copper with black hair tied in a simple ponytail. His ears were his most noticeable trait, the tips extending several inches. Even with his panicked look, his supernatural looks still made him seem graceful.

The second female was a short and stout woman at only four feet and four inches. She had vibrant red hair which was tied in red braids that draped down her front and freckles which splashed across her nose. Her earthen brown eyes were wide with panic. She was wearing leather armor over simple clothing made for travel and seemed armed to the teeth with two shortswords and two handaxes at her side while a longbow and quiver was strapped to a quiver on her back, along with her backpack.

The last male of the group was the only normal one of them all. He wore leather armor like the others, but it seemed to be more weathered, like it had been out in the open longer than the others. Around his neck was a necklace which seemed to be made of bear claws and his features were undeniably human with tangled brown hair and slight stubble on his face. Like the others, he was armed with weapons, two shortswords of his own and a longbow over his shoulder.

"_Who are you?!_" the four shouted at each other at once.

"Ah, don't you lot recognize your own teammates?"

The four stopped and turned to where they heard the Scottish-like voice. There past a pillar was a tavern counter with large barrels tapped behind it. There polishing a tankard was a dwarf. Not someone in the statue, but an actual dwarf of mythological persuasion. He was burly and stout, much like the redhead of the group. He also sported thick brown hair which was long and it made it difficult to know where his hair ended and his beard began, looking much like the typical dwarf.

The dwarf smiled and hopped off a stool behind the counter before walking out to the group, "Well, it's been a while since another group of adventurers passed through. Welcome to the The Crimson Dragon, the gathering point of adventurers all over Toril and beyond!"

The male elf blinked and spoke for the rest, "What?"

The dwarf just chuckled, "Ah, you're all new then. Well, come on over and pull up some chairs and I'll help you all out."

The adventurers looked to each other, all of them confused, but they didn't have much of an option. They got to their feet and followed the dwarf to a table near the fire. The dwarf shouted to another portion of the room and a human woman stepped out from behind a door and was quick to begin filling five tankards with drink. The homey woman smiled as she set the tankards with the group.

"Well then, I'll explain," the dwarf began. "How about sharing some names?"

"Medea Argos," spoke the half-elf

"Dorn Evenwood," answered the human.

"Kathra Fireforge," the female dwarf replied.

"Rael Xiloscient," the elf supplied.

The four made their answers, but then blinked and tried to answer again. Every time they tried to say the names they knew they were born with, all that came out were the names which they knew were not theirs. The dwarf leading the discussion just snickered before clapping his hands to get their attention.

"Alright, so, did any of you begin a game of Dungeons & Dragons with a leatherbound book?"

"How did you know that?" asked Dorn.

"Well, those books are tomes which connect our world with yours," the dwarf replied. "They appear only to adventurers who have the potential to become great. You lot managed to make some waves in your adventures, possibly becoming as strong as anyone can get?"

"Um…you mean Level 20?" asked Medea, confused.

"We've gone past that," Dorn scratched his head. "Using those Epic Character homebrew rules…"

"Well, no wonder you were all chosen!" the dwarf laughed. "You all were picked to reach a new level of adventuring. Beyond just pen and paper and little figures, you all were pulled to Faeurn in order to experience the real thing! The Dungeon Master must truly believe you can be great if he picked all four of you."

Kathra frowned, "Wait, so we were pulled into Faerun? We've _become_ our characters? We're living the game now?"

"What is the game to you, is reality to us," the dwarf explained. "But that is the gist of the situation."

"Seriously?" Rael gaped. "So, we're stuck here now?"

"Oh not in the least," the dwarf waved off the panic. "Once you pass your first adventure, you can leave the book."

"That's it?" Kathra frowned. "Okay, so let's go out and kick some ass and we can go home."

"Ah, things are not going to be so easy," the dwarf warned his fellow stout folk. "If I'm right, you all still have your dice on you? The ones which are made into all of the strange shapes?"

The group was confused, but they all began checking their pockets. After some moments of digging, they each retrieved a full set of polyhedral dice. Rael's were yellow, Medea's were purple, Dorn's were green, and Kathra's were blue. They were all surprised that they had them, but the dwarf barkeep nodded in satisfaction.

"Ah, there we go. Those dice are going to be needed for every encounter," the dwarf explained. "Now, I know you outworld types don't know how to use a sword or ride a horse. That's part of why you were transformed into the characters you built. However, these dice will help you with your skills and your battles."

"How do they do that?" asked Medea.

"I'll show you," the dwarf smiled. He made a gesture with his hand before a circle of light appeared nearby and a wooden dummy appeared standing on a mount. "Why don't one of you take up in front of it and draw your weapons?"

The four looked to each other before Kartha took the lead and stepped in front of the dummy and drew her shortswords.

"Alright, now the Dungeon Master has given you all special magic which lets you use the dice to help your actions. When you're about to fight a monster and you need to use the dice, try to roll it and the initiative will be cast. It will help you make the fight more understandable and fit a pattern you can follow."

"Right," Kathra frowned and walked to the table and retrieved her dice. Picking out the d20 she tossed it to the ground and rolled to the dummy's feet. As the die was rolling, there was a flash of red from the dummy before a red d20 rolled to Kathra's feet. Her die rolled a 14, but the dummy's was a 20. Once both dice finished rolling, and showed their numbers, they vanished.

"Oooh, too bad. The dummy gets to move first," the dwarf shook his head.

"Your dice rolls still screw you at the funniest times," Rael laughed.

"Shut up!" Kathra hissed.

The dummy shuddered and seemed to glide across the floor before getting into range of 5 feet from the dwarf.

"Now, you know how fighting happens in your dice game? Armor Class and all that?" asked the dwarf.

"Yeah, we all know that," Dorn nodded.

"Good. Now, when you intend to attack in any way, you can toss your d20 to try and make your attack. Provided it's your turn of course," the dwarf explained. "Now, the dummy gets to attack first since it had the higher initiative."

The dummy's d20 flew again and landed on a 19. With the roll, the number suddenly changed, adding 2 to the roll, turning 21.

"Hey wait-?!" Kathra proclaimed before the dummy swung and sunk a wood arm into her side, making her grunt and stumble. "Ow!"

"Yup. It rolled higher than your Armor Class," the barkeep nodded. "If I recall right, Kathra's AC is 14, Rael's is 16, Medea's is 12, and Dorn's is 14."

"How do you know that?" asked Dorn with a raised eyebrow.

The barkeep chuckled, "It's my business to make sure all adventurers who pass through my tavern to be ready for the wide world out there. Now Kathra, let's see you make your counterattack."

"My pleasure," Kathra grunted. Lifting her swords again, she prepared to strike. As she moved to attack, her pocket glowed blue before her d20 flew out of its own accord. It tumbled across the floor before landing on a one. It turned black and vanished. At the same time, Kathra tripped and stumbled past the dummy. "H-Hey!"

"And that would be the penalty of rolling a 1," the barkeep chuckled.

Kathra growled and got up as the dummy turned around. The red d20 of the dummy rolled again, landing on a 6. The dummy swung and Kathra suddenly felt her body move almost on automatic as she lifted her swords and crossed them, letting the dummy's arm crash against the metal harmlessly.

"There we go," Medea nodded. "Good job Kathra!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kathra huffed. "My turn!" She rolled her die again, this time landing on a 20. As she reared her sword back for a strike, the d20 flashed brightly before from that light shot out a glowing d6. The dice landed on a 2 which became a 4 before her modifier made it a 7. The dice flashed and Kathra swung her sword and again, she felt her body react almost on automatic as the sword slashed across the dummy's wooden torso, breaking the wood deeply.

"Ah, there you go! Critical hit!" the barkeep cheered. "7 damage to the dummy! Best of all, since you've got two light weapons, you can have a bonus action of a second attack!"

"My pleasure!" Kathra grinned, moving to strike with her second sword. Her die rolled again, this time on an eleven. The die flashed and launched only one d6, landing on a 6. The number remained unchanged as Kathra swing again with her second sword, this time smashing through the dummy and letting the pieces collapse to the ground. "Ah, that felt good!"

"Way to teach that wood a lesson!" Rael whistled. Before her, the dummy flashed blue before it shattered into motes of light.

Kathra huffed and moved back to the table where the barkeep passed her a tankard and she drank deeply from it. Slamming it down, she looked to her fellow dwarf, "Alright then. So when we want to fight, but none of us know how, we can use the dice to do it for us."

"That's right," the barkeep nodded. "Also, you know about Skill Checks and all that, right?"

"Duh," Dorn snorted. "So following this then, casting magic and doing skill checks all require us to roll some dice first and our results determines how well we do?"

"Yup!" the barkeep nodded. "The Dungeon Master, the one who created this little enterprise, made it so that your skills with the dice and the game can be applied to the world here to help you survive and even thrive."

"How generous of him," Kathra huffed, taking another good swig of their drinks. "Man this is good. So, if we got dragged into here to go on an adventure, how do we go on it?"

"Ah, now we get to the fun part!" the barkeep laughed. "The question is, what adventure did you lot pick?"

"Uh…Dorn?" Rael looked to their Ranger ally.

"Um…," Dorn wracked his brain for a moment. In all the panic and adrenaline rush of what was happening to them, the name of the adventure he had chosen had slipped his mind.

"Try an Intelligence Check," the Barkeep suggested. "Just roll the die and declare what check you want to make. If it applies, it will work."

"Right, right," Dorn plucked up his green d20 and rolled it across the table, "Intelligence Check." The die stopped on a 13 before shifting up to a 15 and vanished in a flash of green. Dorn suddenly perked up, "Oh, I remember now. It was _Lost Mine of Phandelver_."

"You don't say!" the Barkeep gasped. "Well, I never thought that place would be found again!"

"You know about it?" asked Rael. "Then could you give us a clue as to what we're getting into?"

The Barkeep shook his head, "Sorry laddie, but would a Dungeon Master in your game bring you any information other than what your characters would already discover or know?"

"No," Medea groaned. She then perked up, "Wait, Dorn, you read the adventure, right? Can you tell us anything?"

"Sure, I-!" Dorn began, but then stopped himself. He narrowed his eyes and scratched his head, "Um...wait, I knew it. I swear I did…"

"Again, if there's no way your character would know about it, then you can't say or act on it," the Barkeep shook his head. "Still, if you were going to run the game on your side, you were likely going to have some kind of adventure hook to get the players involved, right?"

Dorn nodded, "Yeah, I did. All four of us are the grandchildren or children of an adventuring group that Gundren Rockseeker ran with in his wilder days. He's collected us together and hired us to a wagon of supplies to Phandalin from Neverwinter. He's promising us ten gold pieces each when we deliver the supplies to a place called Barthen's Provisions."

"And there's your start," the Barkeep smiled. "Well, better drink up and get going. Gundren Rockseeker must have found something big if he's bringing so many provisions."

"Well, it's not like we've got a choice," Kathra huffed before she gulped down what was left of her drink. "Let's go!"

The group did just that and they walked to the front of the tavern before stepping out. As they did so, their minds were suddenly, although gently, filled with a meeting that they knew they never had. They recalled sitting in another tavern where a dwarf with black hair was looking around suspiciously while a human with gray hair and a rather noble stature was next to him. Immediately, they knew the pair to be Gundren Rockseeker and Sildar Hallwinter. The dwarf was acting skittish, explaining that he had found 'something big' and he needed their help to move some mining supplies. He and Sildar were going were riding ahead to 'take care of business.'

The group rubbed their heads, looking to each other in confusion before they took notice of the world around them. Streets were lined with medieval-style buildings, some seemed to be inns and other taverns while others just seemed to be shops. People milled about, and not all of them were human. Other dwarves, tiny people which looked like halflings and gnomes, a gray skinned half-orc, and what looked like even a dragonborn were milling about and minding their own business.

"O…kay," Rael blinked. "I believe it now. We are not in Kansas anymore."

"No shit," Kathra agreed.

"So…where are the supplies we're supposed to guard?" asked Medea.

"Probably at the supply store that Gundren told us about," Dorn shook his head, feeling the false memory came to him. Gundren told them about a supply store he was using that he trusted with the large order of supplies. The supplies were moved to an equipage business and were waiting for the party to arrive and claim them. Dorn even had the scroll needed to claim the wagon, oxen and all.

"So let's go then," Rael nodded.

"No, wait, we should first check our own supplies and see if we have anything that we still need to buy," Kathra shook her head. "Let's make sure we know we're equipped before we handle anything else."

"Right, okay," Rael nodded. As an experienced D&D player, he knew the importance of being properly equipped.

Moving down the street, the group found at least an open portion of the street which allowed them to look through their belongings. Rael was quick to discover that, despite having claimed a longbow for himself, he did not have a quiver or arrows to go with it. He also found his holy symbol was an oak leaf, representing the elven god of nature, Rillifane Rallathil.

Kathra found that she did have the arrows needed for her own bow, but she did not have the quiver for them. The arrows were just bundled together with some loose twine for easy transportation. It made Kathra theorize that if the books didn't say they would have the equipment, then they wouldn't have them when they began as their new characters.

Finally, Medea had the equipment she needed, but she had absolutely no supplies for adventuring. No torches, no rations, no bedrolls, or even the usual supplies adventurers needed to survive in the wild. The pretty half-elf blushed in embarrassment over the blunder. She quickly defended herself, saying that she would buy supplies once they got to the first source of civilization like in other games.

Finding the merchant district wasn't hard since it was near the usual inns and similar establishments. It was called the Merchant Quarter for a reason after all, even if others called it Protector's Enclave.

Moving through the streets wasn't difficult, but the party moved slowly since they were rather in awe over how one of the cities they so often played in was real and right in front of their eyes. Still, they managed to rubberneck their way through the streets and to one of the many stories selling the weapons and supplies they would need.

"Rosethorn Supplies," Kathra read the sign over the store, emblazoned with a rose. "Well, seems pleasant enough."

"Neverwinter is a pretty law-abiding place," Dorn nodded. "Usually. We're less likely to get swindled in the official merchant areas than in a place like Waterdeep with all of the politics and hidden rogues."

"Then we can go in," Medea shrugged. "Besides, no one's going to be stupid enough to swindle me. I'm one of the nobility, remember?"

"Works for me," Kathra smiled as the two women entered the store. The two men shrugged to each other and followed them inside.

Inside of the store was just what the group had been expecting from their number of hours playing the classic tabletop game. Tables filled with larger pieces while shelves lined the walls with all sorts of supplies and equipment on them.

"Wow," Dorn admired. "It's just like the game."

"I know," Kathra smiled dazedly.

"It's awesome," Medea nodded. Stepping forward, she looked around for someone who ran the store, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Just a moment! I'm in the back!" a woman's voice called from beyond the desk. The sounds of feet pattering on the floor came before a small person, a Halfling, hopped into a stool which let her reach the counter. She wore nice clothing and had bushy brown hair and a natural smile on her face. She took in her customers before gasping at the sight of Medea. "Oh! Young Lady Argos! Whatever are you doing in my store?"

"What else? Shopping," Medea smiled kindly. "My friends and are I beginning our new adventuring career and we're…a little short on supplies for the job we took."

"Ah yes. It happens with all of the new groups," the Halfling nodded. "Well, don't be shy. Just say what you need and Tyna Rosethorn can get it for you!"

Rael quickly got the quiver he needed and stocked up on arrows. The Halfling couldn't help but tease him a little, "Oh I've seen so many Paladins get so sharp about their steel, but when it comes to the little things, it just seems to slip their minds. It doesn't matter which race or religion, that's one thing they seem to have in common."

"Eh he heh," Rael blushed slightly, although he tried not to look it. He happily payed the two gold for the supplies.

Kathra got her quiver, getting her own round of good-natured teasing, "I swear, if it doesn't involve metal or stone, most Dwarves wouldn't notice it either."

"Yeah, we can be metalheads," Kathra laughed heartily. "I guess it's why we hang out with other people. We get reminded of little things like that until we finally remember it ourselves."

"Ahahah! Too true," the Halfling laughed as Kathra passed the gold she owed for the item.

Finally, Medea brought her basic supplies to the counter. Tyna gave a kind smile to Medea, "Well, it's good to see a young lady standing up and trying to make something of herself. Far too many people who are born into luxury simply like to rest on their laurels. Although most of them forget something important and play it off like they don't need them."

Medea blushed slightly, "W-Well, one gets so excited they forget the little things."

"That we do," Tyna smiled, accepting payment for the goods. The bedroll and rations cost her 6 gold. The weight of the items were quite noticeable for her as opposed to her friends. With only a Strength score of 8, she certainly wasn't the brawniest member of the group.

One thing everyone did was buy a new waterskin with themselves, although Medea bought two of them. They all knew from longer games that they had to drink a pint of water a day and eat a serving of rations or else they'd suffer a level of exhaustion which would impede their abilities. Too many levels of exhaustion, and they'd end up dead.

A possibility none of the group wished to entertain.

With a happy goodbye from the shop owner, the group set back out from the shop. New supplies in hand, the party took Dorn's lead as they headed to the equipage business which had the supplies.

Again, thanks to the false memories of their characters, the group found the equipage business at the edge of the city. The desk attendant was a surly human who was annoyed it took them so long to get there, but he was happy to get the wagon off his hands so he could finally get paid for holding it. Fortunately, the pay was handled beforehand by the one entrusted with the wagon until the party could reach it, so all the group had to do was show their scroll.

Once the paperwork was out of the way, the group settled onto the wagon. Rael and Medea took seats at the front where they would drive the oxen. Dorn and Kathra sat in the cargo area for vantage points and keeping an eye on their flank.

"Well, we're off on an adventure," Dorn smiled as Rael flicked the reins, setting the oxen on their course. "Come on. We should be more excited than this!"

Kathra rolled her eyes, "Let's save that for when things pick up. Then I'll say I'm excited."

"Same," Rael agreed.

"If we had an adventuring soundtrack, then I'd feel it more," Medea added.

Dorn rolled his eyes but chuckled all the same.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

"So…bored…" Rael muttered.

It had been two and a half days since the group had set out. The travel portion hadn't nearly been as exciting or filled with encounters as some of their games had been. The scenery was pleasant enough, and the air smelled clean and fresh, but there was absolutely nothing to do aside from keeping an eye out for threats and converse.

The first day travelling south on the High Road from Neverwinter had them talking about why none of them were more frightened by what was happening to them all. Dorn had suggested that since they were all fantasy enthusiasts, they were all able to suspend their disbelief better than most folks which kept them from freaking out too badly when they were dropped into their current situation.

Medea offered the opinion that since nothing bad happened to them, and they were able to get situated in a calm environment like The Red Dragon and Neverwinter, they were able to accept their surroundings much easier. If they ended up in a battle like some stories of people from Earth ending up in a fantasy world, they wouldn't have been nearly as accepting of their situation.

Kathra just threw in the theory that something about the magic that brought them to The Forgotten Realms kept them from freaking out too much until they were ready to deal with it. It as the most paranoid of the answers, so the group didn't spend too much time dissecting it.

Rael just gave the simplest opinion: that they were all fans of Dungeons & Dragons and the chance to live the adventures instead of just playing them had them all giddy like little kids going to Disneyland. That got chuckles from everyone as they couldn't really deny it, risks of an adventure aside.

The second day they wondered how everyone back home was reacting to their disappearance. Two days gone without a word was going to have their families worried about them to say the least. None of them liked that idea, fearing that it might whip the neighborhood into a frenzy. Kathra just hoped that some flake with an agenda didn't blame the game for their disappearance like so many people in the sixties blamed it for their druggie kids going off the wall.

They reached their third day and made the big move of turning to their left at a crossroads and onto the Triboar Trail, which would take them closer to Phandalin, the destination of the supplies they had been tasked to protect and deliver.

"So, how much farther to Phandalin?" asked Medea, sitting at the front of the wagon next to Kathra. She was bored and a little tired.

"According to the directions, we'll be on the right path when we turn right on the next path," Rael answered, perched in the wagon with Dorn.

As the party moved closer to the woods, Dorn was finding that his eyesight was taking more notice of his surroundings. His _Favored Terrain_ was the forest, so he had some advantages when he was in the forest. Also, he had the highest _Passive Perception_ among the party. That allowed him a little bit more awareness than the others, which likely would come in handy later.

The trail was becoming wilder with the trees coming closer to the trail. Dorn kept his eyes sharp, knowing it was becoming a good spot to make a trap for unsuspecting travelers. It was a notion he passed to his friends, who immediately began looking for possible threats and attackers.

No attacks came, and the party continued, turning around a bend before Kathra brought the wagon to a stop as all of the members saw larger forms laying in the middle of the road between two deep thickets. It didn't take a genius to guess what the forms were or what had happened to them, since there were black-feathered arrows sticking out of them.

"Are those horses?" asked Kathra, seeing the dead animals.

"Looks like it," Rael frowned at the sight. "And in the middle of the road? I smell a trap."

"Ditto," Medea frowned. "So what do we do?"

"Well, we can't just sit here. We have to move the horses," Kathra frowned. She had a soft spot for horses, like many girls did at one point or another, so she was distressed about the death of the horses. "Rael and I can check out the horses and try to move them. Dorn, you and Medea stay here and be our eyes."

"Right," Dorn nodded, taking his bow from his shoulder.

The Elf Paladin and Dwarf Fighter stepped off the wagon before they approached the two dead horses. Both kept their eyes on their surroundings as they reached the horses. Kathra frowned sadly and kneeled down, petting one dead horse's mane.

"Poor thing," Kathra murmured sadly.

"Yeah," Rael nodded. "Still, do these horses look familiar to you? Like, in the memories of our characters?"

Kathra nodded, her face like stone, "Yeah. These horses were the ones Gundren and Sildar were riding when they left Neverwinter." Both of them recognized the horses not only from the coloring, but also because of the saddles. Sildar's was ornate, a man of position while Gundren's was functional even if it still had the marks of dwarven make. It was a unique set of saddles which made them easy to identify.

"Bodies don't seem that old. Maybe a day or so," Rael nodded, looking to the horses. They were cold, but there was no sign of decomposition. The kills were still fresh, or so he assumed. He was no expert, but he knew enough to tell a fresh body from an old one.

Kathra looked to the saddle bags and opened them, finding nothing except for an empty scroll case, "Looted. Looks like they were robbed of everything they had."

"Great," Rael frowned. "Okay, let's move them and-!" He was cut off when a red d20 die rolled between himself and Kathra. Both blinked, their eyes drawn to it despite themselves. The die came to a stop on a 5 before the number glowed and turned to an 11. The dice then darkened and vanished, leaving the pair confused.

"Why did…?" Kathra frowned, wondering why a d20 would just appear like that. The only ones who rolled the dice besides the players was the DM when he rolled for attacks, encounters, or monster abilities. As she was thinking of it, she suddenly gasped and looked to where Dorn and Medea were. They were still at the wagon, looking at the ground where a similar dice had landed.

"COMPANY!" she shouted loudly, alerting her friends.

"GREEEEEE!"

Kathra's call was followed by loud screeches of creatures who burst from the trees. They were short humanoids with yellow skin with long ears, long noses, and greasy hairs. They wore bits of leather and metal armor although it seemed they collected it piece by piece rather than a whole. Of course, all of them were armed with either scimitars or bows, making it very obvious that they were there to cause harm. Two of the creatures swarmed out of the forest and down the hillside, blades raised for the Paladin and Fighter. Another two rose from the trees near the wagon with bows at the ready, aimed at the Wizard and Ranger.

"Goblins!" Dorn shouted, easily recognizing the creatures from the _Monster Manual_. "Everyone, roll initiative!"

The group tried to reach for where their dice were in their pockets, but they needn't have bothered. The dice reacted on their own, flashing their respective colors before their d20's fired out, landing on the ground in front of their respective party members. A red die also came from the goblins and rolled up their numbers. Once the dice were rolled, they flashed and vanished. The order was soon set, starting with Dorn.

The Ranger of the party felt a surge of adrenaline as his turn was made first. Swiftly drawing an arrow, he notched it back. Taking aim at the goblin to his left, he held his breath in a heartbeat to hold still, an instinct rather than an action. As he did, his dice appeared again, rolling for the attack.

The dice rolled, coming to a stop on a 19 which became 24, thanks to his _Proficiency_ (+2) and his _Dexterity_ (+3). The dice flashed green as he released the arrow, letting it fly towards the goblin. The arrow struck true, sinking into the goblin's chest. As the arrow struck, a d8 dice appeared, rolling to a 7. His damage modifier, which was his _Dexterity_ score since he was using a ranged weapon, turning it to a 10.

As the arrow struck the goblin in the chest, making it squawk as it fell back, sinking into its body. The goblin fell back before its body flashed green and exploded into green motes of light. Dorn blinked at the sight, surprised that it had been so easy. Granted, goblins weren't the hardest enemy to fight, especially when there was a good roll…

"My turn!" Medea stood up from her seat and raised her hand at the other goblin aiming a bow at her. The crystal around her neck began to shine before she spoke out, "_Ray of Frost!_"

Her dice appeared, a purple set, which rolled as she spoke the words. The dice rolled and came up as a 13. Her Spell Attack Modifier, which was her _Intelligence_ (+4) plus her _Proficiency_ (+2), making it a 19. As Medea spoke the words, a sphere of cold blue energy appeared before it shot in a beam at the goblin aiming its bow at her.

The beam of energy flew through the air and crashed into the goblin, making it screech in pain. A purple d8 rolled as the attack struck, landing on a 6. The goblins tumbled, covered in a coating of frost as it stumbled and tried to keep standing.

Kathra's turn came next as she drew her shortswords as she faced off against the goblin that had attempted to jump her. Swords ready, she lunged at the goblin. She swung once, her dice flying from the attack. The first rolled a 2 which turned to a 7 thanks to her attack bonus. She swung, but the goblin ducked under the attack, grinning as it prepared to fight back.

However, Kathra was wielding her two swords. They both had the _light_ property, which let her dual wield them. So with the second weapon, she lunged to stab at the goblin. Again, her blue d20 die rolled to show a 12 which became a 17. This time the blade sunk into the goblin's chest. Unlike Dorn, whose opponent died quickly and Medea's who was covered in frost, Kathra saw the blade sink into the goblin's flesh. It did not leave any blood or wounds, merely a glowing red slash mark as the blade sunk in.

As the blade cut flesh, a d6 rolled to come up as a 4 which then turned to a 7. Normally a second attack wouldn't have the bonus attached. However, Kathra had chosen a _Two-Weapon Fighting,_ fighting style which allowed her to add the bonus even with her second hand. As the blade sunk in, the goblin gave off a gurgle before exploding into blue motes of light.

Rael surged as he felt his turn come over him, lifting his longsword. Gripping it in both hands, the Wood Elf Paladin swung his weapon down hard at the goblin. His yellow dice rolled as he made his attack, landing on a 19 turned 24, letting the blade catch the goblin across the chest.

Normally, the damage dice would have been a d8, but a longsword had the _versatile_ trait, which meant that when wielded with two hands, the damage dice was increased. In this case, the d8 was replaced with a d10, which rolled as the blade hit. The dice landed on a 3, which turned to a 6, leaving a red glowing gash across the goblin's chest.

"Gragh!" the goblin grunted, but snarled and rallied back, lifting its scimitar before lunged at Rael in turn. A red d20 rolled for the attack, coming to an 8 turned 12. It wasn't enough though as the die darkened and the goblin's blade smashed harmlessly against the Paladin's armor.

"Nice try!" Rael frowned, unimpressed.

Nearby, the partially frozen goblin managed to recover himself enough to notch an arrow and fire at Medea. Again, a d20 rolled for the attack, coming up as 6 turned 10. Medea gave off a yelp as she ducked, letting the arrow fly overhead and stick into one of the crates of supplies.

"Woah," Medea trembled, glancing back to see the black feather arrow sticking from the crate.

"Need some help?" asked Dorn, grabbing another arrow.

Perhaps it was feminine pride, noble pride, or simply a gamer's pride, but Medea was quick to get up and shake her head, "No, no! I'm fine!"

"Okay," Dorn nodded, turning to aim at the shivering goblin, "Then I'll just _Hold_ until you land a hit."

To _Hold_ an action was to prepare an action until something happened. Sometimes it was when someone took a hit, or some other event happened. In this case, Dorn would attack the goblin after Medea attacked it, unless the goblin died first.

"Got it," Medea nodded. Flexing her wrist, she pointed up at the goblin and invoked another spell, "_Ray of Frost!_" Her dice rolled again as her spell fired at the goblin once again. Her dice rolled, landing on an 11 turned 17, letting the spell strike the goblin. The goblin gave a short shriek before freezing solid and shattering into a cloud of purple.

Grinning, Medea looked to Dorn. "See? I've got it."

"Heh," Dorn snickered.

"I got this one!" Kathra turned to see the last goblin as she ran around her Paladin friend. Swords in hand, she prepared to strike the goblin down.

"No, wait! We need him for information!" Rael stopped her with a shout.

"Fine!" Kathra huffed. "You want him?"

"I've got the weapon for it," Rael nodded as he stared down the now worried goblin.

"Fine. I _Hold_ until it hits you," Kathra sighed.

"Thanks," Rale nodded before he lifted his blade, but had turned it so the flat side of the blade would strike instead. Gripping the weapon, he swung hard down at the goblin's head. His roll was a 16 turned 21, which had the flat side of the blade crash into the goblin's head. His d10 rolled, coming up 5 turned 18. A crack sound echoed through the air as the goblin fell to the ground in a heap with a glowing spot on its head, yellow lights rising from the goblin's body.

"Whew," Rael sighed, lowing his blade. "Okay, let's get some rope."

The party relaxed slightly, but they stopped when the motes of light which came from the beat goblins drifted through the air before flowing towards the four party members. Dorn looked at himself as he watched the lights enter his body, making a faint glow which quickly dimmed.

"What was that?" asked Medea, looking at the last of the purple motes entered her.

"Must be the XP from the encounter," Dorn shrugged. He then looked over to where Rael and Kathra were with a downed goblin. "Rael, Kathra, you two okay?"

"We're fine," Rael nodded as Kathra had pulled out her rope and began tying the goblin's arms and legs. As she made the clumsy-looking attempt, her d20 rolled, coming up to an 8 turned 10. It was a _Sleight of Hand_ check with her _Intelligence_, a rule offered in the source material _Xanathar's Guide to Everything_. Not that Kathra noticed when she made the sloppy-looking knots to keep the goblin secured.

Dorn and Medea got off the wagon and approached their friends with the unconscious goblin. Medea grimaced at the sight of the creature, "Uglier in real life than in the books."

"Yeah," Kathra nodded, standing up and wiping her nose. "Smells pretty bad too."

"We did pretty well for the first battle though," Rael admitted. "We didn't even get hit."

"We got lucky," Dorn reminded him. "Good dice rolls got us through this. The next fight could end up having us getting our butts kicked."

"Cheery," Medea deadpanned. "Okay, let's wake this rube up and see what he knows about all this." She kneeled down in front of the goblin before she smacked his face a few times, "Hey, wake up! We've got questions for you!"

The goblin gave a groan before he seemed to get his senses back. He was also quick to realize he was tied up and facing down four adventurers who had taken down all of his fellow bandits. The goblin let off a yelp and began babbling in a language the group only assumed was goblin.

"In Common, you twit," Kathra barked. She could understand goblin just fine, but she knew her friends didn't. Not that the goblin had said much, just panicked jabbering of how he gave up and would tell them anything if they let him live.

"Yes!" the goblin nodded, his ears flopping.

"Good boy," Medea smirked. "Now, we have some questions to ask. You answer truthfully, we let you go. You lie, you die, got it?"

Unseen by Medea, her dice reacted and her d20 rolled to the ground. Coming to a stop, it revealed a 16 which shifted up to an 18. The dice then flashed the familiar purple before disappearing. In response, the goblin's eyes widened as it paled considerably.

"Yes! Yes!" the goblin nodded frantically.

"Good," Medea continued to grin maliciously. "Now, those horses. Were they ridden by a man and a dwarf?"

"Yes!" the goblin nodded. "Take back to lair! Human in eating cave but we give dwarf to King Grol!"

Dorn frowned, "So you separated them? Why?"

"King Grol say so! Black Spider want dwarf and dwarf's stuff!" the goblin retorted.

Rael frowned, tapping his chin, "So you have two bases. Where are they?"

The goblin shuffled, but seeing Kathra frown and Medea's gem focus begin to glow made his tongue loosen again, "Cave is northwest from here. Follow trail. Can't miss it. Cragmaw Castle is twenty miles northwest from hideout!"

Dorn retrieved his dice and whispered a faint '_Insight Check_' before dropping the dice to the ground. The green d20 rolled, coming up to a total of 17. The dice then flashed green and a feeling of confirmation came over him. The goblin was telling the truth as far as he could tell.

"Ah, good boy then," Medea grinned, patting the goblin's cheek. "Now sit tight. We'll talk about what we'll do with you."

"But I tell the truth!" the goblin cried.

"And you did. Don't worry. We won't kill you," Medea replied as she stood up. The party got her unspoken message and they moved away from the goblin to discuss what they were going to do. Medea sighed and looked to her friends, "Okay, so now what?"

"Simple. We save Sildar!" Kathra insisted.

"No duh," Medea retorted. "I mean how do we do this? Should we go to Phandalin first? Maybe try and get more information and supplies?"

Rael shook his head, "This may be time sensitive. Remember, this isn't dice, paper, and pencil anymore. This is the real thing. Who knows what might be happening to Sildar by this point? We need to get him out of there immediately before the goblins just end up killing him."

"If they didn't already," Kathra frowned, her arms crossed.

Medea deadpanned at her dwarf friend, "Nice optimism there."

Kathra huffed, a little put out by the deadpan and sarcastic look on Medea's face, "It's happened before!"

"Then we go straight to their hideout," Rael interrupted. "We can try to make sure Sildar stays alive and we can get some more clues about what's going on."

"Sounds good to me," Dorn nodded. He then gestured to the bound goblin, "What about that guy?"

The four looked back to the goblin who paled when they all focused their gaze on him. They then turned back to their conference and Dorn sighed, "Well, we can't kill him. In a fight is one thing but…this would just leave a bad taste in my mouth."

"Ditto," Rael nodded. "But if we let him go, he might end up warning his friends. If not for his hideout, then the castle he mentioned."

Kathra gnawed on her lip, "Well…depending how it goes, it can't be going on for long. A few hours I mean. We just keep him tied up and when we save Sildar, we come back and drop this punk off with authorities? I mean, that way we don't kill him."

Medea hummed, "Well, I can agree with that. Even if they end up executing him or something, that's how the law goes I guess."

"Aren't you supposed to be the noble and cheery one?" asked Rael.

"I was until I got burned by a lothario and saw how the real world works," Medea retorted.

"Come on you two. You can kiss up later. Now we've got a job to do," Dorn rolled his eyes before adjusting his pack. "Let's secure the oxen and our prisoner and we can go save Sildar and get a move on this adventure."

The group broke and began leading the oxen to the grassy hillside where they contentedly munched on grass while Rael tied their reigns to the tree. Medea told the goblin what they decided to do with him and he seemed to take it calmly, perhaps if only to keep from getting blasted by Medea's magic.

Once their prisoner and cargo was set, the adventurers checked which direction the goblin's hideout was before they set off in that direction. Dorn was quick to spot the trail, seeing the flattened grass almost like a road sign. With that pointing the way, they headed in what they hoped would be the path to saving one of their patrons.

Now their adventure had truly begun.

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **This began as a bit of fun for me when I began getting into Dungeons & Dragons. I didn't have a group at the time and I decided to write up some characters and write a novelization of the introductory adventure. This is actually the first rewrite since I finished the first draft and realized I messed up the rules.

There are some notes who the people who are canon cops or sticklers of rules will need to know.

**Dice Rolls: **As I write this story, I actually use maps and dice to tell the story. When there is battle, a chance of an encounter, or a skill ability, I really use dice to check. So if people think some of the fights, checks, or encounters are short, lackluster, or drawn out, it is because the dice rolled in that direction.

**Homebrew: **Since I started playing D&D, I learned about DMSGuild and all of the content available there. Some of it is just too much fun to not use. So if some people prefer to use officially published content from Wizards of the Coast, you're going to perhaps be a bit frustrated with some character options. I won't homebrew exclusively, but I will use some if I get the idea to use it.

**Technical: **If you didn't guess, I am going to run the battles like out of the game. Dice and numbers are going to be mentioned a lot. This may very well turn some people off the story. I'm trying to include all three pillars of D&D: exploration, social contact, and battle. I try not to write battles in the story which don't have a purpose, such as story elements, new abilities to show off, or if I feel the development of characters happens here. Sometimes it can't be helped, like on a dungeon crawl, so just be advised this style of writing may not be for everyone.


	2. Goblin Arrows

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. I love the game and love to write my own content for it, but being someone who actually shapes the game is a distant dream from me.

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phendelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 1: Goblin Arrows**

The adventuring party of four moved through the trees as they followed the trail of the goblins which had ambushed them. They left their cargo of supplies and their goblin prisoner behind near the ambush site. They knew one of the ones who hired their characters to undertake the job was in the questionable hospitality of the goblins.

Dorn took the lead, being the one whose favored terrain was the forest, allowing him advantages in the forest. He also had the highest passive Perception of the group, at 15. It did allow him to determine the number of goblins to an extent. He could guess there weren't a large army, but it wasn't a band of four or five either.

Kathra took the second position in their line going up the trail. She was the second line of defence and a frontline fighter. The only reason Dorn was in the lead was because he had the skills of survival in the forests. Her swords were drawn and her eyes were looking out for a threat. After the sudden appearance of the first goblins, she didn't want to risk being caught by surprise again.

Medea took the third position, being the glass cannon of the group as the resident Wizard-class. She was protected on both ends by Rael and Kathra. It offered her the protection and clarity of mind to keep another eye on their surroundings. With any luck, if another fight happened then she would get some cover and blast some of the enemies away before they could get close enough to make it a fight.

Rael took up the rear. As the tank of the group, being a Paladin, he was able to take more hits than any of the others. If they did get jumped from behind, Rael would be able to take the attack before retaliating with a stronger attack. Also, he would be able to make a good shield for Medea who was again the glass cannon of the group.

Dorn kept his eyes out for traps and other things. He knew from old games that goblins liked to be tricky and leave traps. He'd burned his friends and gotten burned by them during several traps. It was funny when it happened on paper, but he didn't think it would be as funny if it happened in real life…and he had dreamed up some very nasty goblin traps in the past. It was an image he didn't want to think about but couldn't help it.

His thoughts almost distracted him, but he still managed to see something hidden by some grass and hidden in the branches of the trees, "Stop."

"What? What is it?" asked Kathra, peeing around Dorn's form.

"A trap," Dorn replied. Stepping forward, he kneeled to the ground before he pulled away the grass before he revealed a snare trap. It was crude, but the grass did its work and hid it from sight. Only Dorn's high Perception allowed him to see the ropes leading to a bent sapling tree.

"Little rat didn't even warn us about that," Medea frowned.

"And he may not have warned us about more," Dorn frowned. Taking one of his swords, he cut the tether to the trap and let it fling around harmlessly. "Keep your eyes out. We don't need to be ambushed again so soon."

Mutterings of agreement came from the others as they kept going onward. They travelled for another 10 minutes, looking for any kind of possible trap or ambush. Despite the travels and their own insecurities, being teenagers in the bodies of adults, they kept their courage up. Perhaps knowing that they had the skills and abilities to fight back and even thrive in the battles ahead helped keep them from freaking out.

Skills which came in handy again as Dorn held up his arm to stop the group. Kathra groaned, "Again?"

"Again," Dorn nodded, seeing a perfect carpet of leaves and twigs. His background with forests allowed him to immediately see that the collection of twigs and leaves was not natural. Looking around, he found a somewhat heavy rock and tossed it into the small clearing in the path. Once it hit, the ground sank with a crash, revealing a pit trap. Fortunately, it was just a pit and no spikes.

"Son of a bitch," Rael blinked.

"Yeah," Medea grimaced. "Isn't this supposed to be a first-tier adventure?"

"I picked it for that," Dorn admitted. "But I guess living it is a bit different from the paper and pencil we're all used to."

The four continued onward and came out of the path, coming to trees in front of a wall of rock with a stream coming out of a cavern. Coming out of the trail, the four members of the party stopped as a pair of white d10 dice appeared in the air, rolling to a stop in front of Dorn's feet. One had a single digit while the other had double digits in multiples of 10. All four members of the party blinked as the dice came to read 20 and 5. The dice then flashed, dissolving into white lights which spread around the four party members.

"Um…okay," Kathra blinked, looking down at herself as the light vanished against her body. "XP?"

"A bonus for missing those traps I guess," Rael shrugged.

"Pleasant, but now we're at the mouth of the goblin base here," Medea pointed to where the opening of the cavern opened several feet away. "And unless this is an adventure for extreme rookies, I think there is going to be some guards somewhere."

"No bet," Dorn shook his head. "Alright, which of us have the best Stealth?"

"+2" Medea answered, recalling her scores perfectly.

"+2, and I'm wearing chain mail. It gives me disadvantage on stealth," Rael replied.

"I've got +3 for it," Kathra answered. "You?"

"+3," Dorn noded. "Okay, Kathra, you and I do some sneaking and see if we don't spot patrols or guards."

Kathra nodded and the dwarf and human pair began heading towards the opening of the cave, stepping lightly as they approached. They stopped at the mouth of the cave, peering inside. Kathra had darkvision, the ability to see in the dark, so she could see deeper into the cave than Dorn could.

Kathra gave a thumbs up, indicating that she didn't see any kind of threats. Dorn nodded back, glancing around, he saw a trail leading into a small clearing hidden by trees and thickets. The Ranger quickly gestured in that direction and Kathra nodded as they slowly began to cross the shallow stream.

As they tried to keep quiet as they passed through the water, the pair's d20s appeared, landing softly in the grass. Dorn's landed on a 7 turned 10 which had him glide through the stream. Kathra's came to a 4 turned 7. Dorn's dice flashed, but Kathra's darkened.

As her dice vanished, Kathra stumbled on a slippery rock, biting her lips to keep from cursing out loud. Dorn sighed, looking to his dwarven friend who had red cheeks from both embarrassment and frustration.

"_Hey, whazzat?_" a goblin-like voice grunted.

"Shit!" Dorn hissed.

"Intruders! Get 'em!" another voice shouted.

"Initiative! Initiative!" Kathra grit her teeth as she drew her swords.

Their d20's appeared and rolled to show their turns in the battle. At the same time, Medea and Rael both noticed their own dice appearing, tensing as they realized that they were now into a fight. A red d20 likewise appeared for the unseen goblins.

Dorn felt the rush of adrenaline signalling that he was able to move first. Unsure of what to do but forge ahead, he moved the remaining way across the stream and around the small line of trees and thickets. On the other side was a clearing, offering a view which guards could use for intruders. In the middle of it all were a pair of goblins scrambling to pick up their gear, apparently having been lazing about before being roused by Kathra's splashing.

"Dammit," Dorn frowned, but he quickly drew an arrow and took aim at the closer of the goblins. Pulling the arrow back, he let it fly at the goblin as his attack dice flew. Clattering to the ground, it revealed a 19 turned 24. A flash of green announced the arrow striking the first goblin in the chest, making it screech in pain. A d6 rolled as the arrow struck, landing on a 5 which turned to an 8.

The goblin's screech turned into a gurgle as it fell back. It's body flashed green an exploded into motes of light, leaving only one goblin left.

The second goblin suddenly lost some of its swagger. It fumbled with its shortbow before notching an arrow and firing it off at Dorn. It's red d20 rolled to reveal and 8 which became a 12. Dorn's eyes trailed the arrow as it began to fly and he ducked under the arrow, letting it hit the rock wall of the rock formation behind him.

"Better luck next time!" Dorn hissed.

Medea felt her turn come around and she dashed for the thicket, aiming to cut through the forest and get at the goblin from behind. Crossing the river, she came into the thickets, but feeling her movement become hindered by the brambles and hidden underbrush.

"Difficult Terrain sucks," Medea grimaced. She chided herself for not thinking of it, but the adrenaline and the surge of battle got to her.

Difficult Terrain was a mechanic which reduced the movement of characters in the games. Terrain like rubble, ice, deep swamps, or dense thickets all qualified. In terms of gameplay, it cost characters double their movement to move the same space. So for every 1 foot of movement Medea gained through the thicket, it cost her 2 feet of her actual movement.

Still, she soldiered through, her skirt catching on the branches as her shins were almost wrapped up by the branches. She huffed and cursed mentally as she managed to reach the far side of the thicket, but the remaining branches proved too much and her legs began to feel like lead, indicating she could not move any further. Grimacing, she looked up and found a clear view of the goblin which had frantically tried to shoot Dorn.

Lifting up her hand, causing her crystal to glow, she unleashed her spell with a cry, "_Ray of Frost!_"

Her ice rolled as the beam fired. Sadly, the dice came down to a 1. The goblin heard Medea crashing through the thicket and it ducked with a yelp. The beam of arcane cold missed the goblin, fizzling out into nothing but a few snowflakes in the air.

"Damn!" Medea grit her teeth, even as a sense of lady-like conduct made her regret saying it at the same time.

Kathra grunted and she ran to follow Dorn and managed to catch up with him to see the beam of cold power vanish. Huffing, she saw the last goblin fumbling for another arrow, looking back and forth, trying to find an avenue of escape.

"Oh no you don't!" Kathra sheathed her swords and pulled out her longbow and notched an arrow of her own. A quick moment to aim and she fired off at the goblin. Her dice flew with the arrow, landing on an 11 turned 16. The blue dice flashed and the arrow struck the goblin with a cry of pain. Another d6 rolled as the arrow hit, rolled to a 2 turned 5. The goblin stumbled back with a cry of pain, red light glowing from the wound.

Rael finally got his turn and he began running to follow Medea, crashing through the thicket as he tried to keep up with his lady Wizard friend. Coming to a stop next to her, he saw the goblin reeling in pain from the arrow it took to the torso. Quickly, he drew his own bow and notched one arrow of his own. Raising the weapon, hearing the wood of the bow groan slightly, he aimed at the writhing goblin and fired.

A d20 flew, landing just outside of the thicket, coming up to a 1 which had the arrow completely miss as the goblin stumbled out of the way as it struggled to get the arrow out of its body.

"Oh come on!" Rael groaned.

Dorn frowned and drew another arrow. Notching it, he aimed at the goblin before he fired it, launching his dice once again. The dice landed as the arrow flew, coming to a stop on a 12 turned 17, letting the arrow strike the goblin. It let off a screech before vanishing in a blast of many colors which separated to each character.

"So much for stealth," Kathra grumbled. "My bad."

"Bad dice rolls," Dorn shrugged. He gazed over to the edge of the thicket, "Is that you guys?"

"It's us," Rael announced as he and Medea came out of the thicket. "For all the good I did."

"It happens," Dorn shrugged.

"Right," Medea nodded. "Okay, let's get this done and save Sildar."

The party approached the mouth of the cave and peered inside. Dorn could only see a few feet ahead. The others could see the insides of the cave easily thanks to their darkvision abilities. A fact that Dorn was cursing over as he had to let his friends take the lead.

"Next time don't be so generic," Kathra snickered, leading Dorn by the hand as they entered the cave.

"I wasn't even supposed to be using this character!" Dorn grumbled. "I was the DM!"

"Shh!" Rael shushed the two, he in the lead with Medea behind him.

As they passed the final bits of light at the mouth of the cave, Rael noticed a set of uneven stone steps leading up to a small chamber on the east side of the stream. It didn't take long for the stench of animals and the sounds of savage snarls and yips to fill the air.

"What's that?" asked Dorn.

"Three very pissed off wolves," Rael frowned as he eyed the three animals that Dorn could not see.

The wolves were obviously not very well-thought of. All three animals looked very savage and were almost frothing at the mouth as they continued to snarl and bark at the four adventurers. Obviously, the goblins were using them were training them as guard dogs and it made the animals more savage than they normally were.

"They're going to give us away!" Kathra snapped over the sounds the animals were making.

"I can calm them down," Dorn offered. "I've got a +5 in Animal Handling!"

"But you can't even see!" Rael retorted. If they had to spark a torch to calm the animals down, it would just give them away through a different means.

"Then light a torch and keep it shielded so the light doesn't get too far away," Dorn retorted. "Sound goes farther than light!"

Rael looked to the growling animals, whose hackles were rising as they spoke, and realised Dorn was right. Quickly reaching into his pack, he used some provided flint and lit up the torch, letting light spill into the area, letting Dorn see the room they were in.

The human Ranger immediately saw the three mangy and barking wolves. His heart immediately went out to them. He hated seeing animals mistreated and it was plain to see that the wolves were being mistreated in some of the worst ways.

"Okay boys, okay," Dorn spoke softly as he approached the snarling wolves. He quickly retrieved from his pack some of his rations, one for each wolf. Unwrapping them, he passed each portion to the wolves, "Here. Calm down boys. We're not going to hurt you."

His calm words and the passing of food had the wolves start snapping up the rations, obviously hungry. As they ate, Dorn drew closer in a calming manner, soothing and relaxed to help the wolves calm down. In the process, his dice appeared and clattered to the stone floor. The dice landed on a 10 turned 15 before vanishing in a small pop of green.

The wolves seemed to calm down, allowing Dorn to approach and begin petting them. They chewed contentedly on the rations, happy for the sustenance. Dorn smiled, petting the coarse fur, but he wasn't pleased to see that the three wolves were obviously suffering mistreatment. Looking around, he saw that the wolves were chained to a spike driven into the floor. It was likely the only reason that they weren't attacked.

"We're getting you out of here too," Dorn muttered. Gripping the spike, he gave a grunt before he pulled the spike up from the ground.

"Dorn!" Medea gasped. "You-!"

The wolves immediately noticed they were free and bolted, chains dangling as they ran. They didn't move to attack the party but ran past them. They turned towards the mouth of the cave and vanished into the darkness before racing out of the mouth of the cave.

"There. One hazard down," Dorn grinned, dusting his hands off.

"That…could have backfired in so many ways," Rael sighed as the torch was doused, covering everything in darkness.

"Yeah. But it didn't. So we can move on," Dorn shrugged.

Rael and Kathra shook their heads, but they didn't disagree. Medea took Dorn's hand and they took to the rocky path next to the stream again. The party soon came to a bend which turned deeper in the caverns, but stopped when Rael abruptly did the same and pressed himself to the wall.

"What?" asked Kathra, almost bumping into the elf's back.

"A bridge is up ahead. If we didn't have darkvision we wouldn't see it," Rael answered. "Hold on. Let me try to see if there's a guard."

Dorn peeked his head out from the turn and peered at the bridge, trying to spot movement. To help him, he quietly asked for a Perception Check. His dice reacted and a d20 appeared, clattering to the ground. Oddly, an enemy d20 rolled next to it although Rael didn't notice this. The enemy dice totaled a 14, but Rael's landed on a natural 20, meaning an automatic success.

Rael noticed movement just coming from where his vision was obscured by some of the natural terrain. A goblin stepped out onto the bridge, looking rather surly about his duties or some other thing goblins took offense over. Occasionally it would glance on either side, meaning it was a lookout.

"Great," Rael frowned, drawing back. "There's a guard on the bridge. We keep going, he'll see us for sure."

"So which way do we go?" asked Medea.

"That way," Kathra replied, pointing to the west where a steep incline headed up to the higher level. "We can climb up that and keep going."

"Hello? I'm still blind in here," Dorn hissed. "Can't someone just snipe the guard and we can keep going?"

"All we'd have is one shot and if we blew it, we'd get swarmed," Rael retorted. "But you aside, Kathra, do you think you could hit him?"

"Hm," Kathra rubbed her chin. Range wasn't the problem since she was sure of that much. She had a +5 to longbow attacks and they did 1d8+3 damage when they struck. With a lucky roll, one shot could wipe out a goblin. The problem was the dice roll itself. Goblins had enough hit points if her roll was too low, it would survive and still be able to call the alarm. Added to that, the railings on the bridge, primitive as it was, could actually qualify as cover, adding to the goblin's AC.

"I wanna say yes, but I see some things which might make it more likely I'd miss," Kathra frowned, not liking to admit it. "If we want to keep going in stealth, I say we take the climb."

"Ditto," Medea agreed. "Remember, Sildar's here and we need to save him. Getting all the goblins riled up might just get him killed if they haven't already."

"Right," Rael nodded, a little disappointed they couldn't just go in guns blazing. Unlike the paper and pencil version where they could do some tomfoolery for the hell of it, this time there would be real consequences if they fooled around too much.

They group took care to carefully cross the river before they reached the other side. Kathra noticed as she touched the incline that it had a lot of loose rubble in it. Anything too heavy would have whoever was below them get peppered with the rubble.

With that in mind, the group took turns climbing up. Rael went first, since he was the tank of the group and could take any instant attacks at the top. Stones clattered down, but the echoes from the water helped muffle it as he got to the top. Kathra followed, easily scrambled her way up. Medea was third, although she was wary of trying since she was wearing a skirt despite the darkness. Dorn had some difficulty when his turn came, but he felt his way around and without rubble pelting him, he also got to the top, although he was sure it was a close thing.

"About time," Kathra yawned. "I could have taken a nap from how slow you were going."

"Next time we're in a forest, revenge will be mine," Dorn grunted, flipping Kathra the bird.

"Enough," Medea frowned. "We don't have time for this. I see some light in the distance."

The party collected themselves and moved down the passage. It stopped at a t-shaped intersection with a path going left and one to the right. The path on the left ha the light and a faint smell of smoke in the air. Following it, they came to an open cavern which was bright with firelight made by a campfire cooking meat.

The cavern itself was split in two by a ten-foot high escarpment, likely a living space for the goblins. They could tell it was a living space since filthy mats were randomly spaced on the ground and five goblins were sitting around the fire, waiting for their meal to be done.

"Great. So now what?" asked Kathra, fingering her swords.

"A little too numerous for my liking as a Level 1 player," Rael frowned.

"Let me make a snipe. One shot, hopefully one kill to even the numbers," Dorn offered. "We'll get them by surprise and maybe get a chance to bring down a few more of them before they can really fight back."

"I like that plan!" Medea nodded.

"Then let's get to it," Dorn grinned, drawing an arrow. Coming to the mouth of the cave, he eyed the five goblins and picked his target. Drawing it back, he looked to his friends who had their own weapons out, "Ready?"

"Ready," they nodded.

"Here goes nothing," Dorn frowned before he fired his shot. As he did so, his d20 rolled for his attack. The dice came to the ground, rolling to a 6 which turned to an 11. A miss.

The arrow flew, but the goblin it was aimed for leaned over to grab something and it flew by, clattering against the far wall. The goblins all yelped and began shouting, turning to see the group at the entryway into the room. They began shouting and pulling out their weapons, looking ready for a fight.

"Shit. Initiative!" Dorn cursed his luck as he let the battle sequence begin.

Medea was able to go first. Pooling her magic, she conjured up another spell. Knowing she might be at risk if she blew it, stopping when she was 15 feet away, she knew she at least had to try with so many of the goblins collected around the fire. Both hands raise, she invoked her spell, "_Burning Hands!_"

Light came up from her fingertips before a blaze ignited from them, stretching in a 15 foot cone and spreading over the 5 goblins in a flash. The five goblins yelped and dove to try and get out of the way. A red d20 rolled from each of them, rolling for a Dexterity Saving Throw. A dice check to avoid the worst effects of a trap or spell.

Three of the goblins shrieked as they were caught in the flames. Their sounds were drowned out before they vanished in blasts of purple lights. The remaining two goblins managed to duck, but they were still badly burned, although they were still breathing.

Kathra and Rael both saw their chances and charged for the remaining goblins. Their weapons raised, they came upon the remaining two goblins. Rael gripped his longsword in both hands before he swung down hard at one of the charred goblins. His dice rolled up a 15 turned 20, cutting the goblin in twain in a flash of yellow and purple.

Kathra used both her swords in a flourish of metal. However, the goblin was still in control of himself and managed to dodge the blows through his pained stumblings. Kathra grit her teeth in frustration from the misses.

Dorn quickly pulled up the rear, stepping out slightly and slightly to the side for a better view before he drew another arrow and fired at the wounded goblin. The arrow slipped by Kathra and impacted against the goblin's torso, eliciting a gurgle. It fell over before vanishing in a flash of green and purple.

"Enough!" a shrill voice shouted, making the party halt and turn. On top of the escarpment was another goblin. This one was perhaps slightly bigger than the others, but what gave the party a sense of horror was the human laying at the goblin's feet with a sword at his throat. The gray-haired form of Sildar Hallwinter.

"Sildar!" Rael called out, the man weakly shuffling in the goblin's grip.

"Truce, or I kill this human!" the goblin shouted, shaking Sildar's head.

"You kill the human, then we kill you!" Kathra snapped, her teeth clenched as she looked up at the goblin.

"But human still dies," the goblin smirked back. "I'll give him back though. If you do a job for me."

"What job?" Medea frowned, smoke still coming from her fingertips.

"The Cragmaw Tribe is run by a bugbear named Klarg," the goblin answered. "A goblin should run the Cragmaw Tribe! You kill Klarg for me, I'll give the human back to you if you promise to leave after!"

"And let you go on raiding?" asked Rael, holing his sword.

"Ha! Of course! Goblins are best raiders!" the goblin laughed.

As the goblin crowed and Rael kept him talking. Dorn slowly hugged the wall as he drew closer to the meeting. When the goblin started talking, the restrictions to combat ended, at least for the moment. Seeing an opportunity, he moved to snipe the goblin. He drew an arrow and carefully notched it. The goblin didn't seem to notice him, or even yelled about him coming out from hiding. Perhaps he thought the last arrow had come from one of the others or didn't notice it at all.

Unbeknownst to him, as he snuck closer to the edge and preparing to fire, Dorn's d20 rolled once again. It rolled to a stop, coming up to a 14. The dice glowed and vanished, leaving Dorn to move without drawing the attention of the goblin threatening Sildar.

Nocking the arrow, Dorn controlled his breathing and prepared for his shot. The goblin seemed to be winding down, demanding the party go and kill whoever Klarg was or else he'd kill Sildar. The arrow fully notched, Dorn spun around, coming into open view and aimed at the goblin up above and fired. His dice rolled to a 15, just enough for the arrow to sink straight into the arrow's chest. His d8 appeared to roll an 8 turned 11.

"GAAAAHHHH!" the goblin cried, stumbling around, dropping Sildar. Dorn felt the heavy restrictions of the combat come back around. The goblin shrieked, grabbing the arrow which was sticking out of his chest, forgetting to deal with the attacker. The surprise of the attack kept the goblin from retaliating against Sildar for the assault.

"Medea!" Rael shouted to the party's wizard.

"_Ray of Frost!_" Medea called out, pointing her palm at the goblin, firing a beam of cold magic. The dice rolled, but rolled to a 4 turned 10, letting the magic fly wide. Medea wanted to groan at the sight of the attack failing at such a crucial moment.

Rael huffed and charged for the natural stairs leading up to Sildar and the goblin. He charged to the top, coming upon the shrieking goblin and swung hard at the goblin's neck. A roll of 9 turned 14 again missed, the goblin ducking underneath the swipe.

What the goblin didn't see was Kathra coming up from behind the wood elf. Rael turned aside and Kathra followed up with slashes from her shortswords. The first sword cut the goblin across the chest in a flash of red. The goblin screamed and vanished in a swarm of lights representing each party member that struck it.

The party members each looked around for more goblins, but they were all alone save for Sildar. The lights given off by the goblins' deaths swirled around them, adding more XP to their scores. It went ignored as the group move to secure Sildar.

"Are you alright?" asked Rael,s heathing his sword.

"As well as could be," Sildar groaned. It looked like he wasn't very well off at all. Rael offered a hand, which the older man accepted and was pulled to his feet. "By the gods it's good to see all of you. How in the world did you get here?"

"The goblins tried to ambush us when we found your horses in the middle of the road," Kathra explained. "We took one prisoner and it squealed about where you were. They said they took Gundren somewhere else but we had to come and save you too."

"Personally, I'm glad you did," Sildar nodded, rubbing some bumps on his head. The goblins had taken to beating him when they got bored, enjoying his cries of pain. "And they did move Gundren. They took his map and Gundren himself under the command of the Black Spider. I don't know where this other base of theirs is."

"Don't worry. We do," Dorn reassured him. "Now we should get you out of here."

"No, not yet," Sildar shook his head. "The Black Spider is a real threat and with an extensive network. The Cragmaw are just a part of it. We need to find more information if we can. Plus, we have a duty to the realm to eliminate such thugs where we find them."

"Aye," Rael nodded.

"No arguments here," Dorn nodded.

"Are you going to be okay Sildar?" asked Medea, seeing the man was beaten.

"Once I get my hands on a weapon," Silder nodded. Looking around, he found the belongings of the goblin left behind from his body disappearing. Oddly, he didn't ask what magic or ability made the goblin vanish in death. Instead, he picked up the goblin's scimitar.

"Better," Sildar nodded before he looked to the party, "Shall we then?"

"Let's," Rael nodded, earning grins from his friends.

Dorn only took a moment to retrieve the leather pouch. To his pleasant and somewhat morbid surprise, the pouch had within it 15 silver pieces and three gold teeth. He happily told his friends, who were quick to divide it between them, even as Sildar watched with bemusement. He'd seen many adventurers do the same in his life.

All the members got a share of the 15 silver, although it left 3 up in the air along with who would get a gold tooth. Kathra was quick to just roll a d4. Each member would be assigned a number and whoever's number came up wouldn't get a gold tooth, but they would get the extra silver. Dorn found his d4 and let it roll, showing Kathra's number 1.

"I must say, your means of dividing spoils is much fairer than some groups I've seen," Sildar commented as the spoils were divvied up.

"Well, it's a method we devised as fair after some trial and error," Medea nodded, tucking her money pouch away. "Now, let's get a move on, shall we?"

Loot secured, the group moved to the edge of the room and back into the darkened tunnel. Sildar and Dorn took the back, trusting in their friends' darkvision to see them through the black tunnels. They passed the passage leading down below. They instead headed onward, heading for what Rael and Kathra in the lead assumed to be the bridge they saw from below.

Their movement slowed down as they reached the mouth of the tunnel, finding the bridge they saw from below as expected. On it near the far end was a goblin looking out to the entrance of the cave. The goblin looked incredibly bored, obviously not paying too much attention to anything else.

Rael frowned slightly, but leaned against the wall, not daring to move too much and risk his armor giving him away. He looked back t his friends and motion for Kathra to step forward. Taking his bow from his shoulder, he gestured to the bored goblin as he drew an arrow. Fortunately, Kathra got the message and got her own bow and arrow ready.

As the two moved, Rael tried his hardest to keep his armor from making noise, chainmail giving disadvantage to Stealth checks. Dice appeared at their feet, rolling totals which the lowest was 9. As they vanished, Rael's chain mail rustled slightly, but the two of them were able to keep out of the goblin's attention span.

Pulling back on their bows, both took aim at the goblin. The plan being that if one of them missed, the other might be able to bring the goblin down and keep him from warning any more of his comrades. Taking careful aim, they fired off their arrows as their dice rolled their fates.

The arrows flew, but the dice read totals of 19 and 13. One of the arrows had missed. It flew by the goblin's head, making him blink and turn to see the source. His eyes widened before another arrow struck him in the side, making his shriek in pain. However, it was not enough to end him, dealing only 4 damage. Yelling in pain, he turned and began running for the other end of the bridge, limping as he went, "Intruders! Intruders!"

"Shit!" Kathra hissed. "So much for the subtle way!"

"Right. Let's go. Get a torch ready so everyone can see," Rael nodded. "Let's move!"

The group pulled their weapons as a torch sparked to life, any pretense at stealth now impossible. They dashed across the bridge, running for the entrance to the next chamber as the yells of the wounded goblin could be heard just above the sound of the rushing water.

Sildar took the torch, allowing the other members of the party to see and wield their weapons at the same time. They passed through a short tunnel and came into the next cavern. Although the cavern itself was 35 feet at its widest, more than half of it was taken up by two dammed pools of water made with fieldstone. On the west side of the room was a passage leading someplace out and three goblins were shouting, pulling out their weapons.

"Fuck. Initiative!" Kathra hissed, causing the dice of the four adventurers to appear with more dice from the goblins and Sildar to join them. Dorn and Medea quickly got behind a pair of stalagmites while Rael took the lead between them with Kathra behind them. Sildar took the back, torch and scimitar in hand.

"I'll hold back unless they get closer," Sildar admitted, somehow not seeing the dice but joined the count just the same.

"I'll cover you. Get them!" Medea shouted to Rael. Since they both got the same score for initiative, they had to decide which of them had to go first.

"Right!" Rael nodded. Gripping his longsword, he charged across the space between himself and the goblins, coming up to the first goblin readying a sword to fight with. Reaching it, he reared back with his weapon and swung hard, letting the dice roll. 18 turned 23 was more than enough as the blade came down on the goblin. Using two hands on the weapon made the d10 roll for the damage. 5 turned 8 had the goblin be nearly split in two, flashing red inside before vanishing in a burst of lights.

Medea saw her chance as she stuck her head out from behind her cover. Lifting her arm, she took aim at the goblin next to Rael, "_Ray of Frost!_"

Her spell attack rolled and totaled 18, sending the beam of cold energy into the goblin's face, making it screech as the painful coating of frost covered it. It was a grazing blow sadly, dealing only 2 damage to the attacking goblin.

"Can't wait to level up," Medea grimaced. Cantrips were not especially good at dealing great amount of damage.

"My turn!" Kathra roared, running into the fray while she raised her swords. Coming up to the frostbitten goblin, she slashed with both of her weapons. The blade sunk in on a roll of 21, dealing 9 damage. A flash of red neatly beheaded the goblin before the body vanished like its comrade.

As the motes of light from the first goblin spread away, the redheaded dwarf turned her attention to the last goblin. Gripping her second sword, she swung hard at the goblin, aiming for his throat. Her dice rolled again, showing a total of 21 once again, dealing damage of 8 which beheaded the second goblin in a flash of light which banished the corpse.

Dorn got up from behind his own cover as the lights moved towards the group, giving them the added XP. As the lights moved, some went to Sildar. XP was always divided equally among the party members, even if some of them were NPCs. It actually helped the division of XP become even, even if only each member got 30 of the 150 XP the three goblins were worth together.

"We need to move. That wounded goblin wasn't here. He probably went to warn more of them!" He announced.

"Goblins are always quick to run when the odds are against them. HE either is looking for help or warning his fellows to run away. We need to move before more of them escape!" Sildar agreed.

"Let's go then!" Kathra called, running for the entrance to the next room.

The group collected and ran up the set of stone stairs into the next chamber. The room itself was very different from the others. Sacks and crates of loot were piled p against the south end of the cave. The west of the room opened into a narrow passage which descended into the darkness. There was another opening from natural stone steps with a burning firepit in the middle of the room.

That was secondary though. Instead, there was at first no one in the room as Kathra and Rael took the lead with Dorn and Medea taking up the rear, their respective weapons at the ready. It was obvious to the four experienced D&D players that they were likely walking into a trap. Stepping into the room, they looked around for anything that might end up being a trap or ambush.

The four gave a moment to breathe as they gazed at everything around them. As they stepped inside, a red d20 landed nearby, showing a 10 which turned to a 16.

"YAAAAHHH!"

The four adventurers flinched as from behind the crates popped up three goblins with their bows nocked with arrows. All three took aim at the party before letting their arrows fly. Rael managed to deflect one of them with his sword, but the other sank into his shoulder, dealing 6 damage in a flash of red. The third arrow simply missed, clattering against the cavern wall.

"Why the paladin?" Rael groaned, yanking the arrow out of his body with a flash of red.

As the adventurers tried to recover from their shock, there was a snarl before from out of hiding came a humanoid covered in orange hair covering its body with a goblin-like face. It was wearing hide armor and even had a shield while it was holding a Morningstar in its hand.

"Oh shit!" Dorn grimaced at the sight. "Bugbear!"

"Your bones will be used to build Klarg's throne!" the bugbear roared, lunging for the nearest combatant, which was Kathra. Hefting up his weapon, he swung down hard at the surprised goblin. Kathra yelped and ducked to the side, letting the weapon smash into the ground with a reverberating klang.

"Grr! Ripper! Sic'em!" the bugbear roared.

A snarl came from where the bugbear had come from and a rather mean-looking wolf swooped out, running for Kathra with its fangs barred. Coming upon the dwarf of the party, it lunged for an attack, making two d20 dice appeared. A wolf had a _**Pack Tactics **_ability which gave it advantage on attack rolls if it had an ally within 5 feet. The dice showed a 15 and 19, the latter which became a 23.

The wolf's lunge was true as it bit into Kathra's arm, trying to knock her over. The wolf's bite was deep, dealing 8 damage to Kathra, making her shriek in pain. The wolf's weight was heavy as it tried to push Kathra over so to make her an easier target. Kathra pushed back, trying to stay on her feet. Her struggle made a d20 appear for a roll. Her dice rolled a 19 turned 24, allowing her to punch the wolf in the chest with a yelp before pushing it away.

"Back off!" she roared, gripping her weapons.

The group managed to shrug off her surprise by now, allowing the party to get their act together and put their focus on the battle. Dorn grimaced and looked at the goblins scrambling to reload and try to take another shot at the party.

"Oh no you don't!" he fronted, slipping past Rael before drawing his own arrow. Taking aim, he fired at the first of the goblins. The arrow flew, as did his dice, landing on a 16 turned 21. The arrow flew, piercing the first goblin between the eyes, letting it vanish in a flash of green as a d8 showed an 8 turned 11. "One down!"

Medea frowned, seeing her options were limited for the moment. The area was rather small and difficult to move around. If she tried to squeeze through like Dorn did, she'd leave herself open for the wolf to snap at her. Being the glass cannon of the group, she would likely be put down hard with one good snap from the wolf.

"Fuck it," she muttered. Getting up from her spot, she pushed into the room, coming next to the wolf itself. Lifting her hands, she pointed at the goblins still at the far side of the room, "_Ray of Frost!_"

The goblins yelped as the beam of cold magic flew at them. The second goblin of the group barely had the time to yelp before the blast struck him. The 8 landed on a perfect 7, shattering the goblin and leaving only one left. Behind her, Sildar kept back, looking for his opening as he passed his action.

"Gyeee!" the last goblin yelped, ducking underneath the cover of the crates in some desperate bid to hide. An action which had the goblin's d20 roll as it attempted to hide from the party. The d20 rolled on an 11 which became a 17. As the dice flashed, the members of the party forgot about the goblin, focusing more on the bugbear and wolf menacing them.

"You coward!" Klarg the bugbear roared, apparently noticing his minion's flight of cowardice. Snarling, he hefted up his Morningstar and swung hard at Kathra once again. His dice came up as a 15 turned 19 which had the weapon smash across Kathra's torso. The dwarven woman let out a wheeze of breath while 2d8 said she was dealt 11 damage.

"KATHRA!" the remaining three adventurers cried out as their friend collapsed to the ground in a heap. Her boy bgean slowly blinking red, showing she was downed and out.

"HA! The rest of you shall fall to Klarg's might!" the bugbear gloated, grinning savagely at the group. "Sic the elf Ripper!"

The wolf snarled at the command and lunged for Rael, teeth bared. It's dice appeared, once again at advantage since Klarg. Unlike before, this time the dice came out to 2 and 7, the latter turning to 11. It still wasn't enough as Rael growled and smashed the side of the wolf's head. It yelped and backed away, although it took no damage.

"Out of my way mutt!" Rael roared, gripping his weapon in both hands and swung hard down at the wolf. His dice appeared and rolled, coming to a natural 20. The sword in Rael's hands flashed a blazing yellow before he brought the blade down on the wolf. His d10 appeared, coming to a 4 which turned to and 8 before going further to 11. The blade struck the wolf which yelped before shattering into light.

"Ripper!" Klarg gasped out, his mood do an inversion on seeing his pet get killed.

"You're next pal!" Dorn growled, dashing around the fire to get a clear shot before he fired an arrow at the bugbear. His dice showed 19 turned 22, letting the arrow cut through the air before it sank into Klarg's chest, making him roar in pain. A d8 rolled a 7 which became a 10, meaning it hit a critical point.

"_Ray of Frost!_" Medea followered up, launching another beam of cold magic at the bugbear. Sadly, a dice roll of 3 had the spell miss an coat a portion of the cavern wall with more frost. Medea gave off a scowl at the sight.

Sildar gripped his weapon, seeing the fight turning in their favor and moved into the fray.

"Sildar, no!" Rael cried, but the veteran was ignoring him as he came at the bugbear. His dice rolled, coming up a 17 turned 20, allowing Sildar's weapon to cut against the bugbear's torso, making him roar in pain from the second blow. However, it was a glancing blow, only dealing 2 damage.

Hearing the battle going on, the last goblin of the group gulped before he glanced over from his cover. Looking about, he saw the chimney passage leading to the lower floor of the cavern. Gulping, he steeled himself before he jumped from his perch and made a mad dash for that exist. In the process, his d20 rolled as he tried to not be noticed by the adventurers.

A 5 turned 11 was not enough as he passed by Dorn. His Passive Perception of 15 allowed him to see the goblin coming. With a reflexive action, he grabbed one of his shortswords and swung hard at what to him looked like a charging goblin. 19 turned 22 had the blade hit true and the goblin was cut down in a flash of green.

Klarg could now see that he was on his own and very much surrounded. His beady eyes gazed at everyone who were looking at him and weren't squeamish in cutting him down. Making an audibly gulp, he spun around and attempted to make a run for the same exit his goblin minion had made a charge for.

"Coward!" Sildar roared, swinging at the suddenly retreating bugbear. His roll of 14 turned 1 was just enough to land another blow on Klarg's back, dealing 6 damage, cutting deep into the bugbear's back as he ran. Stumbling from the wound, he managed to get to the chimney before throwing himself from the ledge, not wanting to make the time to actually climb down.

The group moved to see where the bugbear had gone, but heard smashes and crunches come from the darkened passage. Coming to the edge, they saw Klarg's body tumbling rather ingloriously down the rocky wall. A sick crack came from the bugbear's body before it hit the ground and vanished in a haze of color.

"Ouch," Medea winced.

"Guess he didn't land right," Dorn frowned. "Okay, let's get to Kathra, now!"

Rael ran over to Kathra's form, which was still blinking red. Lifting his hands, he placed them on the dwarf's side and invoking on of his abilities, "_Lay on Hands. 5 Points._" A glow like a sunset through the trees. KAthra gave off a groan as she opened her eyes and her health points returned.

"Wha 'appened? We win?" Kathra groaned as she sat up.

"Yeah. We won," Rael chuckled. "And you got knocked the eff out, but we won."

"Oh…good," Kathra groaned, standing up. "So we get loot now?"

"Sure can," Dorn chuckled. "Let's go."

The group looked to the boxes and other supplies which Klarg seemed to have been hoarding from the people they had been robbing. A lot of them had a marking which was a ble shield with a lion-shaped mark in the middle of it.

"I know this symbol," Sildar tapped on one of the crates, "It's for the Lionshields, a merchant company from Yatar. I know one of their shops is in Phandalin. These crates must have been from one of their shipments to Phandalin."

"Cool. Maybe we can get a reward then," Kathra grinned.

Dorn found a treasure chest tucked with the crates which didn't have any markings on it. In fact, the chest looked kind of dirty and tarnished compared to the other crates in the room. It wasn't locked, so Dorn helped himself and opened it. When he saw what was inside, he let off a low whistle, "Wow. Score."

"What you find?" asked Medea, coming next to the Ranger before she saw the contents. "Ooh."

Dorn pulled the chest free from the others, alerting them to his find. Rael and Kathra were pleased to see it, especially Kathra as they saw the collection of coins and other items inside. Settling down, the group counted it all out to be 600 copper coins and 110 silver coins. Also, inside were two vials of red fluid while tucked in the side was a frog statuette with golden eyes.

"Nice," Kathra grinned. "Okay, so how do we split it?"

"Five ways," Dorn answered.

"Ah, none for me. I already have a fine wage," Sildar shook his head. "Consider it my reward to you all for rescuing me."

"More for us," Medea nodded. "So if my math is right, that comes to…150 copper coins and 27 silver with two left over. Who gets the last two?"

"Like we always decide," Rael answered, producing a d4. "We roll this. One is me, two is Kathra, three is Dorn, and four is Medea. Whoever is rolled, they get the last two coins. Fair?"

"Fair," the four chorused. Rael tossed the d4 and both he and Kathra got those last pieces of silver for their trouble. Medea examined the two vials, but her arcane teaching idn't even require a check since they were so common. They were _Potions of Healing_, a must have for every kind of adventurer. As the magic-user of the group, Medea was the one to take both of them. For the frog statue, it was again up to the dice method which had Dorn pocket the piece of loot.

"I must say, your division is rather unique," Sildar commented as the group pocketed their spoils. "I've seen some groups pull daggers on each other for less."

"Oh, this method was developed after many trials and arguments between friends," Rael chuckled. He wasn't kidding since the group did pick fights as their characters before one of them had the idea to do dice rolls.

"Okay, so now what? Should we try to get this stuff to the Lionshield place?" asked Kathra, gesturing to the collected crates.

"We do have room on the cart," Medea nodded. "If we go slowly, we can bring it all with us."

"I'm sure there will be a reward for you as well," Sildar added, appealing to one of the main reasons anyone went out on adventures.

"That's all I need to hear," Kathra nodded with a grin.

The group, once they pocketed the spoils from their unexpected venture, began picking up the Lionshield crates and taking them out of the caves. They didn't face any more resistance from the goblins, making they party believe they wiped the group out in their trawl through the cavern. Once the crates were brought out, they retrieved their wagon. Of course, the goblin had slipped out, but other than the knot keeping the oxen tied to the tree getting messier, nothing else was touched.

"Little rat," Rael muttered as he and Sildar sat at the yokes of the wagon.

"Be thankful he left us the oxen," Sildar sighed, "But now the rest of the goblins are probably going to be aware of us now."

"No doubt," Kathra sighed, walking alongside the wagon as it had to go slower due to the increased load. She glanced to Sildar, "Speaking of them, Sildar, they seemed to know to look for you and Gundren. I know mines can be valuable, but this has to be bigger than just some mine."

"Much bigger than just some mine," Sildar answered. "More than five hundred years ago, clans of dwarves and gnomes made an agreement known as the Phandelver's Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained a great magical power."

"Magical power? Minable magic?" Medea frowned.

"Close, but not quite," Sildas shook his head. "Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge they called the Forge of Spells where magic items could be crafted."

Medea gasped, "So, wait…the natural magic in the mountain could be harnessed and be able to make magic items like a common forge?!" Crafting magical items was not easy and required several experts. If Sildar had explained things correctly, then the Forge of Spells could enchant items as they were being made, greatly decreasing the time needed to make such items, making it possible to churn such items out at a higher rate.

"Exactly," Sildas nodded. "For a time, things were prosperous for the nearby settlement of Phandalin as well as the residents of the mine. Of course, it did not last as orcs swept through the North and laid waste to everything in their path."

"They have a habit of doing that," Rael frowned.

"Indeed," Sildar sighed. "A powerful force of orcs reinforced by evil mercenary wizards attacked Wave Echo Cave to seize the riches and power there. Humans, dwarves, and gnomes fought to defend their home and the Forge of Spells and most of the complex was destroyed. Very few survived the cave ins and tremors and as a result. Many searched for it but no one has been able to find it."

"And Gundren Rockseer managed it?" asked Dorn.

"He had a map, put together himself as he and his brothers painstakingly surveyed and studied the land and found Wave Echo Cave," Sildar answered. "Still, the fact that we were attacked specifically confirmed my suspicions that perhaps Gundren was not the only one who knew or at least suspected the location."

"Someone else knows?" asked Medea.

"Possibly," the veteran shrugged. "I am a member of the Lords' Alliance, a group of political powers who seek to safeguard the lands and their prosperity. We have heard of the Black Spider operating in this area, likely searching for the Wave Echo Cave and has managed to make a network of bandits and gangs to help him. We sent an agent to Phandalin to establish a constabulary but he hasn't reported in for months. When Gundren asked me to accompany him, I took it as an opportunity to investigate."

"Great, so we have a crime boss to deal with too," Kathra frowned.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Miles' House**

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," a young man's voice spoke up as he entered the basement games room. He was of average height and build with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a denim jacket with jeans and a blue shirt. His name was Steve Reyne.

Steve blinked when he saw the table set up for some _Dungeons & Dragons_ but none of his friends were around. Scratching his head, he stepped closer to the table, "Must be on a snack run or something."

Shrugging, Steve sat down at one of the chairs and put out his bronze-coloured polyhedral dice before he looked to the books. Grinning slightly, he pulled the thick leather book to him and looked at the colored sketches of four adventurers. Idly enjoying the art, he flipped the pages before coming to the table of contents.

"Knowing Miles, he'd start us off on the first adventure, _Lost Mine of Phandelver,_" Steve commented before he opened to the pages. Reading the adventure, he read the layouts and adventures which could happen in the first section of the book. "Nice. This looks like fun."

Setting the book down, Steve looked around and spotted the stacks of Miles' books and other materials. _._

"Here we go," Steve nodded as he took his seat and began flipping through the pages for the race and class he wanted to be.

**To Be Continued…**

A/N: Well, the four adventurers are able to pass their first challenge and save one of their contacts. It's opened up a new can of worms though as they discover the existence of the mysterious Black Spider. Meanwhile, the last member of their party seems to have gotten to the game and is about to begin his own character creation. Will he meet with the same fate as his friends?


	3. Phandelver and Redbrands

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. Those belong to Wizards of the Coast and not me.

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 2: Phandelver and Redbrands**

The rutted track finally opened up for the adventurers out of the woodland hillside, giving the adventurers their first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consisted of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some of them build on fieldstone foundations. Crumbling ruins covered in ivy and briar hinted that the town was once much bigger than it once was. The newer buildings were set at the sides of the cart track, widening into a muddy circle for a centre of town and a ruined manor house.

"Kind of quaint," Medea commented, watching children play in the grass off the muddy tracks.

"Yes, welcome to Phandalin," Sildar smiled, growing more at ease. "I'd suggest we secure lodgings. I'm told the local inn is very quaint."

"I don't mind, but we do have to deliver these supplies," Rael commented. "Can we drop these off or do you want us to drop you off and then we'll keep going?"

"Ah, the Stonehill Inn is on the way. I could procure rooms for you if you lend me the coin and the rest of you can drop off the supplies," Sildar nodded.

"Handy. Okay, how much to stay for a few days?" asked Kathra.

"Well, if my information is correct, I'd wager about 5 silver pieces a day," Silder nodded.

"Okay, so let's stay for four days for now and just pay for more later," Dorn nodded. "Everyone choke up two gold pieces."

The party would have forked over silver pieces, but Sildar had no way to carry it all. So everyone passed Sildar two gold coins each. The Lords Alliance agent took it and as the wagon drew got closer, Sildar pointed to a large red-roofed log building which had a sign hanging on the front called 'Barthen's Provisions' "There is where you need to go. I'll keep going to the Stonehill Inn down the road. I will secure your rooms while you do business here."

"Right. Get some rest Sildar and we'll see you around," Dorn smiled.

"I hope in better circumstances," Sildar chuckled. "Until next time friends."

Sildar jumped off the wagon and began walking down the street with the coins in his pocket. The group pulled the wagon up to Barthen's Provisions and everyone dismounted or simply tied the yoke of the oxen to a post for mounts.

As they set the wagon, a lean and balding human man stepped out, wearing an apron as he stepped out to see who had come to his store, "Well, hello there. Who might you all be?"

"We're the group that Gundren Rockseeker hired to deliver some supplies. He mentioned us coming?" asked Rael.

The man's face lit up, "Ah, right, Gundren did mention he was sending a group with the supplies. Gundren seems to have loaded you lot up the brim."

"Well, part of these are the supplies for you," Kathra answered. "The rest we found with a bunch of goblins holing up in some caves near the road. We're going to return them to the Lionshield Coster after we're finished here."

"Goblins? Nearby?" the man blinked, clearly shocked. "Well, is Gundren alright then? I haven't seen him in a while. Is he coming after you lot?"

"Well, that's the problem," Dorn grimaced. "He was captured by the goblin bandits running around and shipped off somewhere. We managed to clear out their hideout, but he wasn't there."

The man grimaced, "Oh by Tymora. Do you plan on rescuing him?"

"Of course we are!" Kathra huffed. "But for the time being we need to recover as well as find leads and supplies for this job."

"Ah, good," the man sighed with some relief. "Well alright. Name's Elmar Barthen, I'm the owner here. Anything I've got you can buy to help your quest."

"Much appreciated," Dorn nodded. "So we'll drop off your supplies and begin asking around, maybe find a few clues to some of the problems surrounding the area."

"Sounds alright with me," Elmar nodded. "To be honest, Phandalin's rife with problems right now. Especially with the Redbrand gang running around. Poke around a bit and maybe you might find a lead on Gundren." He then perked up, "Oh, right, I owe you all ten gold each for the delivery. Back in a jiff."

Elmar went back into his store before coming back out with four small pouches. He handed one to each of the adventurers, "Gundren's brothers Nundro and Tharden are still out in the hills. I'm expecting them back any day now to restock their supplies."

"Oh, so we can wait for them then," Medea nodded. "Well, we needed to stay overnight anyway."

"We can still ask around," Rael offered. "Anyway, thanks for the gold. We might speak to you again if we need some supplies."

"I'm always here," Elmar nodded. "Then let's get my stuff unloaded before you return the other things."

The group nodded and began unloading Gundren's supplies. After they finished, they said their goodbyes and began driving the rest of the supplies to the middle of the town. As they reached the center of the town, they saw a new-looking roadhouse made from fieldstone and rough-hewn timbers. A sign outside called the roadhouse the Stonehill Inn.

"Well, I'm looking forward to a room," Rael sighed. "I'm looking forward to a bed and a bath."

"Ditto, I stink," Medea groaned.

"You two just make sure we get our rooms," Kathra offered. "We'll stop at Lionshield Coster and let them know we found their stolen supplies."

"Sure. Don't take too long." Rael nodded as he and Medea hopped off the wagon and headed for the Stonehill Inn.

Kathra and Dorn rode across the muddy circle making Phandalin's center to another building. It was easy to tell which building they were looking for. It was another trading post, although smaller than Barthen's and sported a sign which was shaped like a wooden shield with a blue painted lion on it.

Stepping inside, they found a typical frontier shop with a number of supplies. One sign did advertise that they sold armor and weapons and they should ask the person tending to the front desk. Dorn glanced to the front desk was a woman around thirty-five with a simply blonde ponytail looking surly as she drummed her fingers on the wooden countertop.

"Hello. Are you the owner here?" asked Dorn, approaching the counter.

"No. I'm just someone who likes to hang out here," the woman replied with a huff. "Of course I'm the owner. I'm Lienne Graywind. Now what do you want? Supplies, weapons, or armor?"

Kathra snickered as Dorn blinked, but continued, "Actually, we managed to find out where some supplies you probably lost ended up."

Lienne blinked and perked up, "What? You found those supplies? Where?"

"We've got them outside on our wagon," Kathra gestured to the door outside.

Lienne gasped and almost dashed out from behind the counter and headed outside. The two adventurers followed as she watched her climb atop the wagon, checking everything on the back.

"Oh sweet goddess, thank you!" Lienne sighed in relief, checking the crates and barrels of what she could open with her bare hands. Apparently satisfied, she hopped down and with a noticeably brighter attitude, "Okay, I need to do an inventory, but so far it seems like you're the real deal. I'll give you 50 gold pieces as a reward."

"Whoa.." Dorn blinked. "Um…"

"We'll take it!" Kathra beamed.

Lienne nodded and brought the pair back inside. She went behind the counter and rummaged, sounds like a safe or lockbox being opened before more rummaging. After another moment, she got back up, holding a sizable pouch of coins, "Here. If you need anything, you can definitely count on my help!"

"Much obliged," Dorn smiled.

"We'll definitely come back if service is this good!" Kathra grinned.

Lienne laughed before the pair said their goodbyes. As Dorn and Kathra left, they heard Lienne start barking orders as men started coming out from another door in the shop to began to start unloading the wagon while Lienne brought out a ledger as the men removed and opened the crates and barrels to see what were inside. Idly, Dorn noticed the more that was brought off, the happier Lienne started to get as more merchandise was recovered.

When the wagon was emptied, the pair returned it to Barthen's Provisions before heading in the direction of the Stonehill Inn.

(LINE BREAK)

As Dorn and Kathra did their good deed, Medea and Rael had entered the inn. They reached the desk and Medea in her kindest tone, attempting to take advantage of her noble bearing and beauty to make sure the innkeeper would be honest with them and not try to swindle them. The proprietor was a short human male named Toblem Stonehill who confirmed Sildar had bought the rooms for them.

That task done, Rael paid for four meals for a total of 12 silver pieces. The innkeeper's wife Trilena set to work on making the meals as the two found an empty table.

"So what do we do?" asked Medea, sighing in comfort on the simple chair. A wooden chair may no have seemed comfortable but when one had been riding on a bumpy cart or walking, it was heavenly.

"We do the old standby," Rael shrugged, "We ask around for local rumors and stuff. Someone has to have heard about some kind of strange goings on."

"Would that even work in real world conditions?" asked Medea, lifting an eyebrow.

"Can't hurt," Rael shrugged. Looking around, he saw an old farmer drinking with some friends. Shrugging, Rael stood up and made his way across the room. "Hello friends. Feel like entertaining an elf who needs some new faces to talk to?"

The farmer chuckled as well as his friends. While some establishments likely would not like to cater to elves or non-humans, Phandalin seemed used to unusual folks. The farmer smiled and waved Rael over, "Not at all. Sit down, sit down. Been on a long journey then?"

"Long enough. Goblin bandits thought my friends and I were an easy mark. We managed to dissuade them of that," Rael huffed.

"Ah, good riddance! Those scum have been a pain in our arses!" one man grumbled. "Now all we need to do is deal with the Redbrands and we'll be a little more at peace."

"Well, it's not the only thing," the old farm sighed. "Sister Garaele who's caring for the Shrine of Luck left town for a few days. Once she got back, she looked exhausted. Not even ladies of faith are safe these days."

Rael nodded, "Goblins don't much care for what walk of life you're on. Only if they can beat you in a fight and get something shiny from you."

"Ah, too true," one of the men agreed. "You know, orcs have been seen on the east end of the Triboar Trail. The townmaster's supposedly looking for someone to run them all off."

"Might be something for a young band of adventurers to look into," one of the men looked to Rael.

"Most certainly," Rael nodded, getting comfortable.

With Rael making friends with some of the locals, Medea decided to follow her friend's lead as the tavern mistress as she brought the drinks for the meals to her table, "Ah, a half-elf. I haven't seen one other than Daran Edermath who runs Edermath Orchard."

"Oh really? How nice," Medea smiled. "It's so rare I meet elves and even other half-elves."

The sound of padding feet came to the table and a small boy awkwardly holding a large mug clumsily slid it onto the table, "Here you go!"

"Why thank you!" Medea beamed, making the boy blush. "What's your name?"

"I'm Pip! My momma and poppa own this house!" the small boy answered. "I'm gonna grow up and be and adventurer and make all the Redbrands leave town!"

"Redbrands?" Medea frowned. She recalled Barthen mentioning the name. "They sound quite mean."

"They are!" Pip nodded rapidly. "My friend Carp said he found a secret tunnel in the woods near the Alderleaf farm but the Redbrands chased him away!"

"Pip," the tavern mistress chastised her son, sending him away. "Pip's a lovely boy, but I don't want him messing with those local thugs."

"They're that bad?" Medea frowned.

"Oh, they're horrible! Murderers and thieves!" the woman shook her head. "Thel Dendrar, a local woodcarver, chased some Redbrands out of his shop when they came around and leered at his wife. Those ruffians murdered him in broad daylight and took his body. Now his wife and children are missing."

"That's awful!" Medea gasped. "Why haven't the authorities done anything?"

"The Townmaster's just too afraid of retaliation," the woman shook her head sadly. "In fact, the only person who they don't mess with is Halia Thornton at the Miner's Exchange. I can't for the life of me understand why, but I guess that's just her good fortune."

"Odd," Medea nibbled on her lip. "Well, I won't keep you for just digging for gossip. You seem to have plenty of others to tend to."

"So I do," the woman chuckled. "Anyway, I'll be back once the meals are ready. Hope your other friends show up soon."

Medea waved and waited, but not for long as Dorn and Kathra entered. They saw Medea was alone and moved to her. Rael likewise saw his friends enter and politely left his new acquaintances and moved back to his adventuring group. Sitting down, he sighed, "Well, so far it seems the local priestess might be dealing with some issues and the townmaster might be willing to pay for someone to exterminate some orcs."

"Might be good for some experience," Dorn nodded. "What about you Medea?"

"This town is being victimized by a gang called the Redbrands," Medea frowned. "They murdered a man in broad daylight, stole his body, and very likely kidnapped his family all because he stood up to them when they leered at her!"

"Bastards," Kathra frowned. "Okay, screw everything else. This has to be dealt with now. We only take a Long Rest and recover before we kick these guys' asses!"

"I agree," Dorn nodded. "Did you guys learn anything else?"

Medea nodded, "A boy named Carp at a place called Alderleaf Farm may have found a tunnel into a spot important to the Redbrands. We can ask him to show us or at least tell us where the tunnel he found is."

"And maybe we can learn more about Cragmaw goblins in the process," Dorn offered. "If the Black Spider is organizing the goblins, he's probably got contacts with the Redbrands."

"Which makes it all the more important that we bring them down," Kathra nodded. "Alright, do we need any other supplies? Things are going to get hairy. They always do with this sort of thing."

"Maybe we can restock in arrows," Dorn offered. "I'm a little short from full. I've only got twelve arrows left."

"Tomorrow then," Rael nodded. "But in the meantime, maybe we can cash in some of the treasure we got from that base?"

"Tomorrow," Kathra huffed. "After we eat, I'm going to want to konk out after everything we faced today."

"Fair enough," Medea nodded. "Now, how did the Lionshield trip go?"

"Well enough," Dorn answered, revealing the bag full of gold coins. This earned happy grins from his friends as he set the bag on the table.

(LINE BREAK)

Dorn yawned as he stepped out of the inn as he met the new day rising. His friends were waking up, but likely still in bed. Dorn was always an early riser as he stepped out to stretch and yawn. Scratching his head, he walked to the Lionshield Coster to get the arrows the group needed to restock. Finding the trading post, he found the door open already and walked inside.

Dorn was flush for cash, although the girls of the group did make out better since they all had gotten the gems and valuables from the base. Stepping through, he spotted Linene setting up some of the rows of merchandise.

"Morning Lienne," Dorn called, catching the woman's attention.

"Well, if it isn't one of my heroes," Lienne grinned from her desk. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, I need some arrows as well as hoping you can let me sell of some treasure I picked up in the process of saving your goods," Dorn explained, approaching the desk as he dug through his pockets for his loot.

"Well, lay it on me. Half the miners pay in nuggets and ore anyway," Linene shrugged. Dorn nodded and passed the frog statue he snagged and the one gold tooth. The storekeeper frowned and examined the two items, "Hm. Made of jade and has gold eyes. That's worth a good amount. I'd say it's worth forty gold pieces."

"Ah, just what I like to hear," Dorn grinned. "Is the gold tooth worth anything?"

"Not the weirdest thing I've been given," Lienne shrugged. She shuffled behind her counter again before lifting a small scale onto the countertop. She placed the heavy gold tooth onto the scale before using small weights to match the weight. Once the scales balanced, she blinked in surprise, "Well, it's equal to one gold coin at least."

"Better than nothing," Dorn shrugged. "Okay, so you sell arrows here?"

"Sure do," Lienne nodded. "Deduct them from your pay from the loot?"

"Please," Dorn nodded. "Just point me to the arrows." Lienne did so and pointed him to where bundles of arrows were set on shelves. Dorne picked up a bundle and brought it back to the front counter. After deciding that he didn't need anything else, Dorn paid for the arrows and took his remaining gold. Collecting his gold, he said his goodbyes to the still happy Lienne before heading back to the Stonehill Inn.

He found his friends seated at a table, somewhat awake as they ate their breakfast thanks to the matron of the inn. There was a serving for Dorn which he happily took, needing to pay for his own share of it after. Dorn passed the arrows to his friends who needed them before placing the last 10 into his pack.

"So, we go to the farm now?" asked Rael, finishing his morning sausage.

"We do," Medea nodded, daintily patting her lips with a napkin to clean any crumbs. "Let's move quickly since I want to bring down the Redbrands and save those people as soon as possible."

The group agreed, quickly paying for their meals and heading outside. Medea took the lead, since she apparently knew where they were going.

"So where is this farm?" asked Rael as the group walked by the Townmaster's Hall.

"Just around the corner and down the road," Medea answered, glancing over her shoulder. She knew where the farm was since she was the one who got the directions to the Alderleaf Farm from the matron of the Stonehill Inn. Her high charisma worked for the group as she got Trilena to be friendly with her.

The group traveled down the road, passing by a few homes and farmsteads before coming to a slightly larger farm. Despite the size of the field next to the house being bigger than the nearby farms, the house was actually much smaller than the other ones. The group closed in, stopping at the fence surrounding the property. In the field next to the house was a stout halfling woman, or a hobbit as they were more known as in modern society. She had curly hair and was as expected, quite short, standing only three feet tall as she was checking her tomato plants.

"Ah, hello there!" Medea waved, catching the woman's attention. "Do you have a moment?"

"Oh! Ah, hello there. Just a moment!" the woman called back. Wiping her hands on her apron, she approached the group. "Well, this is a surprise. What can I help you with?"

"Well, we're a group of adventurers hired by Gundren Rockseeker," Medea explained. "Sadly, he's been kidnapped by a band of goblins working for someone called Black Spider. We think he may have connections to the Redbrands, so we're going to bring those thugs down once and for all and rescue anybody they're holding hostage. We heard your boy Carp saw them coming out of a tunnel. We were hoping he'd tell us where he saw them."

The woman frowned slightly, looking at the group. Seeing if she could tell if the group were someone who would try to harm her or her family. Seeing she was suspicious, Medea retrieved her d20 and dropped it where the woman could not see. It landed before changing, revealing a 14. The die glowed purple and vanished.

The halfinging woman watched them before she sighed with relief, "Well, it's nice to see someone doing something about those brutes." She warned the group with a stern motherly look. "But don't think I'll let Carp lead you to such a dangerous spot. He'll tell you right here where I can keep an eye on him."

"That's perfectly fine," Medea nodded.

"Good," the halfling woman nodded before she turned to her house. "Carp, come out here please!"

A thump came from inside the house before a door opened and a small halfling boy trotted out. It made the party marvel at how short halfling children were when the adults were so short in the first place. Kathra and Medea had to coo over how the small boy seemed so adorable. He had bright green eyes and curly hair the same shade as his mother's. He came up to his mother before looking to the group in curiosity.

"Hello there," Medea smiled, kneeling down so she and Carp could see eye to eye. "My name's Medea. Are you Carp?"

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded.

"Well, we're an adventuring group going to defeat the Redbrands once and for all," Medea explained. "We heard in town that you saw some Redbrands coming out of a tunnel in the forest somewhere. Do you think you could tell us where to find it?"

"Uh-huh!" Carp nodded, growing excited. "I saw 'em in the forest next to the manor on the hill! It's a tunnel that goes in deep! I saw 'em! A couple of big and ugly bandits came out to talk some of the Redbrands! They almost saw me, but I got away!"

"A tunnel in the hill under the manor?" Dorn frowned. Looking to the rest of the town, he saw the hilltop manor rising above the town a couple hundred feet away from the middle of the town. "You mean the Redbrands are hiding under there?"

"Everyone knows, but the Townmaster's so afraid of them, he won't do anything about them until they're smashed," Carp's mother shook her head with distaste.

"Well, he won't have to wait much longer then!" Kathra grinned. "So the tunnel's in the forest behind your farm?"

"Uh-huh!" Carp nodded rapidly. He pointed to the forest. "Thataway!"

"Thank you Carp," Medea smiled prettily, making Carp blush and look down shyly. Medea stood up and looked to Carp's mother, "Thank you for indulging us. We'll go take care of the Redbrands and maybe bring some peace to the town."

"May the gods be with you," the halfling woman nodded.

The party moved into the woods, where Dorn took the lead since the forests were his chosen terrain. They passed through the forests and avoided the hazards, allowing them to be quiet as they drew closer to the hillside where Carp said the tunnel would be.

"Let's try to keep stealthy," Dorn warned. "They might have some guards nearby."

"Right," the others agreed, lowering their voices to a whisper. With that act in mind, the group trekked closer to the hillside and prepared to start making perception checks so they could see where the tunnel might be hidden.

It turned out, they didn't have to bother with stealth or perception. As they got to the hillside covered by the trees, they found the roughly dug tunnel sticking out much like a sore thumb. There also weren't any guards nearby either.

"These guys must really think they're untouchable," Kathra muttered in distaste at the Redbrands' arrogance.

"In a small town like this where even the Townmaster is afraid to touch them? Why wouldn't they?" asked Rael. "So let's teach them otherwise, shall we?"

"Just remember one thing," Dorn reminded his friends. "We got a tutorial at The Crimson Dragon back in Waterdeep and then our first rounds of battle came from the goblin cave, which might be a training mission or something. Let us get a feel for the fighting."

"How would it be different?" asked Medea.

"It means we're looking at the real thing," Kathra frowned. "We'll be in the middle of a rough fight and not have the time to roll for our attacks. We might not even get the chance to roll for initiative either. Since we're so inexperienced, if we can't roll our dice, we can't fight effectively and might take real wounds instead of those glowing red ones."

"Exactly," Dorn nodded. "So let's be careful and keep our dice handy."

The group shivered and they each reached into their pockets and gripped their d20 dice, ready to roll in case someone or something tried to attack them. Steeling themselves, they approached the rough tunnel and stepped inside, walking through the dim tunnel. The tunnel stretched for around one hundred feet before it came out to a chamber.

The chamber itself was more of a cavern, letting a cool breeze pass over the group as they entered from the south end. A slight scent of rot was in the air, making the group cough or gag. A crevasse divided the cavern and flanked by two rough stone combs that supported the high ceiling. The only way to cross the bridges were two wooden bridges. Despite this, the group could easily see since oil lamps were giving them plenty of light.

"I already don't like this," Rael frowned.

"Same," Kathra frowned. "Alright, let's start looking for some Redbrands. They'd know what we're in for here. They could also have intel."

"No duh," Rael agreed. "Okay, let's move then."

The group began walking out of the tunnel and along the rocky ground. They approached the first of the two wooden bridges.

"Okay, so which way?" asked Medea. "Left takes us into the fort," she pointed to a nearby hall carved into the rocky wall. "The right takes us across the bridge into another portion of the base."

"Good question," Dorn frowned. "We need to find that kidnapped family too."

'_Heh, heh, heh! The newbies walk without a clue! They're lost and no idea what to do! How ill prepared these heroes are!_'

"The hell?!" Rael gasped as the group drew their weapons, looking around for their sudden company.

"Now what?!" Kathra frowned, looking around for an enemy.

'_Little lost heroes! Looking for their prize. Might help, might not, if you gives me something nice._' The ethereal voice cackled.

"Perception," Medea muttered. "Perception, now!"

The four adventurers quickly tossed their d20's and hoped for the best. Medea took a 16, Kathra getting a 10, Rael taking a 22, and Dorn getting a natural 20. As they looked around frantically, they tried to see what their new observer was. However, despite the natural 20, none of the group were able to see anything nearby.

"I rolled a 20! We should see _something!_" Dorn hissed.

"Because there's nothing to notice!" Kathra retorted.

"It must be using magic or something!" Medea gasped. "Arcana Check!"

Medea's d20 appeared again before landing on a 14, turning to a 20. The die flashed before Medea gasped in realization, "It's using telepathy to speak with us! He doesn't even have to be near us to do that! He's probably spying on us right now!"

'_Oooooooh! Smarty pants! Smarty Pants! Ah ha ha ha ha!_' the telepathic creature taunted with a laugh.

"Great! Now what do we do?" Rael frowned, looking around for any sign of the creature.

'_Let's see what you are hiding!_' the creature laughed. As it did, a red d20 landed at Rael's feet, showing a 3 which mutated into a 7. Rael blinked before his yellow d20 rolled next to it, totalling a 10. The red die faded while the yellow one flashed, prompting the creature to grumble. '_No fairs! You is hiding from me! Stupid elf!_"

"Hey!" Rael snapped back.

"Enough with the games!" Kathra frowned. "Are you with the Redbrands?"

'_Redbrands? Redbrands? Oh, stupid little humans who live here? For now, for now. They made a deal with me, yes. Hee hee hee, can you make a better one?_'

"Well…what do you want?" asked Dorn.

'_Many, many things,_' the telepathic voice replied. '_Magic and meat, meat and magic. You have some to trade with me? I can give you things you don't know in retuuuurn._'

"And us being level 1 Adventurers," Kathra hissed. "We don't have any magic things. We can offer some food."

'_Food. You have food. Good, good,_' the telepath rasped in humor. '_I see plenty of meat._'

"Guys," Rael frowned, gripping his blade.

'_Now, __**I'M HUNGRY!**_'

There was sudden movement from inside the crevasse. The four adventurers were caught off guard and the creature landed between Dorn and Rael who were at the bridge. The creature was a hunched over human-sized creature with mottle purple skin with claws and reptilian legs. Random spikes rose from its back while its face was almost skeletal with a grin and it's face was almost entire occupied by the large green eye which was rapidly twitching as it gazed at the group.

"SCREEEEEEEE!" the monster screeched before it lashed out at both adventurers. Rael grunted and the claws of the monster scratched across his armor, making him stumble. The claws slashed across Dorn's side, tearing into armor, but fortunately for him not digging into his flesh.

"Dorn!" Medea screamed in horror.

"Just roll initiative!" Kathra shouted, throwing her d20.

As Kathra threw the dice, the d20's of her friends reacted, clattering on the stone floor while a red one did the same for the new creature. The order was quickly set as the creature got to go first. With a snarl, and better footing, it swiped out with both claws at Dorn and Rael. Dice flew, a d20 for each claw as it swiped at the pair of men. The claw at Rael rolled 3 turned 7, scraping off the wood elf's armor. Dorn's came to 4 turned 8, letting the ranger dodge the attack.

"Dorn, pull back!" Kathra shouted, charging forward into the fray. Drawing both of her swords, she lashed out with both of her weapons. Her dice flew, one for each sword. The first swipe missed, landing on a 9 turned 15 which barely grazed the creature, but her second sword dragged a long gash across it's torso. The damage resulting in a total of 8.

"SCREEEEE!" the monster shrieked. A telepath roar echoed in their minds, "_Stupid meat! I'll eat you!_"

Medea quickly felt her turn again and she moved to get an angle of attack on the monster. She quickly got an angle which came from between Kathra and Rael, "Can't eat with a frozen mouth! _Ray of Frost!_"

The beam of cold energy flew, as did Medea's purple dice. A roll of 13 turned 19 had the beam crash into the monster's face, eliciting another shriek as a coating of frost covering its face. A d8 rolled on the impact, revealing another 5 damage being done to the monster.

Dorn's turn came next, and he quickly used his next action, "_Disengage!_" This was an action which allowed a character to back away from an engagement without provoking an attack of opportunity. A green aura came over Dorn before he rapidly backed away from the monster. It snarled and swiped at him, but he easily dodged as he backed away a good 10 feet.

"Just keep him still!" Dorn called, drawing an arrow for his bow. Sadly, _Disengage_ was an action, so he wasn't able to attack.

"Easier said than done!" Rael grunted. Holding his longsword with both hands, he roared while swinging at the monster. His yellow dice flew, almost glowing, landing on an 11 turned 16. The blade sliced deeply into the monster's side, making it roar in pain. A d10 rolled with the strike, totaling 9 damage.

"SCREEE!" the monster roared before swiping at the two in front of it. Its swipe missed Kathra, rolling a total of 6. The dwarf merely had to duck underneath the attack. Nother swipe totaled 20, raking across Rael's torso, making him cry out as several red streaks light up across his body. A d6 revealed a total of 5 damage dealt to the paladin.

"Guh!" Rael grunted, slightly wobbly on his feet

"_I smell blood now!_" the creature's telepathy cackled. Snarling, it charged, attempting to barrel through the two front line fighters to get some distance between them. Rael and Kathra reacted quickly. Since they hadn't used their reactions yet, they could make attacks of opportunity.

Kathra's attack came as an 11 turned 16, cutting into the monster and dealing 4 damage. Rael's swipe resulted in a total of 23, striking another blow. The monster screeched in pain as it was dealt another 4 damage in a grazing blow.

The monster skidded to a stop near a natural pillar, using it as a cover. Kathra frowned at the sight and quickly began chasing after the monster, "Come back here and fight like a man!" She turned around the pillar, charging at the monster with both swords swinging. Her dice rolled double 8, neither being enough to harm the monster as it stepped back to avoid being harmed.

Medea quickly saw her chance and moved to keep the monster in her field of vision. When she had another clear shot at the monster, she lifted her hand and unleashed another beam of cold magic. _Ray of Frost_ fired, shooting another d20, resulting in a total of 12. The monster moved it's head aside with a cackle, letting the frost cover the pillar, but not the monster.

"Dammit!" Medea hissed, cold air wafting from her hand.

Dorn quickly moved, following the action as he notched an arrow. Taking aim, he fired the arrow straight at the monster's back. His green dice appeared with a roll, totaling a 3, having the arrow get deflected by the monster's spiked, eliciting a grunt as it glanced over its shoulder at him, "Oh come on!"

Rael quickly began moving, running by Medea and starting to flank the monster next to Kathra. Gripping his sword, he swung hard at the monster. The dice were not kind though, as the monster parried the weapon with its arm and toughened hide.

"What?! Come on!" Rael cried out.

"Heee!" the monster cackled before glancing past Kathra to see Medea. It's eye began to glow before a beam of sick green energy fired directly at the team's wizard. Medea gasped in shock at the sudden attack. From her pouch, her d20 began to roll. The beam crashed into Medea with a flash of green necrotic energy.

"MEDEA!" her friends cried out in horror.

Medea's form was hidden for a moment before her dice revealed it's result, a 14 turned 18. A flash of purple magic energy rose and the green magic was dispelled. Medea was revealed, panting from the shock, but she was otherwise unharmed.

A snarl from the monster showed its frustration, but it didn't get the chance as Kathra got her turn again. With a shout, she lunged with her swords for penetrating stabs. Both swords rolled close to 20, easily overtaking the monster's AC. Twin d6 rolled, one for each sword, dealing a total of 13 damage.

The monster bellowed in pain, backing away off Kathra's swords, clutching the glowing red portions of it's body. It stumbled, the light in it's eye blinking slightly. Medea quickly saw her chance, taking aim with her _Ray of Frost_ spell once again. Her dice rolled a 10 turned 16, letting the beam crash into the monster, this time freezing it solid. It's shriek of pain was cut off as it's throat froze and it's body shattered in a rainbow of lights.

"Ooooh boy did we get lucky!" Dorn sighed, slumping slightly. "I think…I think that was a nothic or something. Real nasty freaks."

"Yeah, lucky," Rael grimaced, touching the fading red lines on his chest. "It cut me down to about half my hit points with just one swipe!"

"Like I said. Lucky," Dorn shrugged. "So now-!"

Dorn was cut off when he and his three friends suddenly found their dice rise out of their pouches, glowing their respective colors. They formed a circle around each of them, bathing them in their light. The part was naturally confused as to what was happening. That was until looping writing fit for fantasy began writing itself in their vision.

Dorn's body was bathed in green aura as the writing made itself known to him.

_With the experience in battle you have learned, you developed your own fighting style. What is the fighting style you developed?_

_Archery: +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons_

_Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain +1 bonus to AC_

_Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon._

_Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack_

"I pick archery," Dorn spoke, letting the archery words glow before they turned to motes of light which entered his body, making him flash. The rest of the words faded, but rather than vanishing, a new set of words began to write themselves.

_With your experience in the world and nature, you have unlocked the powers of nature and gained the ability to use the essence of nature to cast spells. You can cast two first-level spells and you may take your pick of two first-level spells a Ranger can use._

When the statement was written out, a scroll which was in Dorn's pack emerged from his pack before it opened and revealed a number of spells which were written on the paper. The Ranger looked at the various spells. Fortunately, he knew what they did since he had used them in one class or another during his games.

"I pick Detect Magic and Hunter's Mark," Dorn spoke, letting the two spells selected glow before the knowledge of how to cast the magic appeared in his mind. Once the magic was known in his head, the glow finally died down.

Rael was much the same, watching cursive writing appear across his field of vision, making the rest of their surroundings darken to almost no visibility.

_With the experience in battle you have learned, you developed your own fighting style. What is the fighting style you developed?_

_Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain +1 bonus to AC_

_Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon._

_Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit._

_Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield._

"I choose Great Weapon Fighting," Rael declared. The writing in the air flashed before his choice became motes of light and merged with his body. The first writing vanished before a new set of words began to write themselves.

_With your dedication to your way and your god, you have begun tapping into the divine power of your patron. At this moment, you have two 1__st__ level Spell Slots and may prepare a number of Paladin spells which is your charisma modifier + half your Paladin level. In this case, you may prepare three spells_

A scroll from Rael's pack lifted and opened in front of his face to reveal the spells a Paladin could learn at the first level. Rael quickly picked the spells Thunderous Smite, Searing Smite, and Detect Evil and Good, making each spell selected beginning to glow as the knowledge of the spells entered his mind. Once it was made, a third paragraph wrote itself.

_With the increased favor of your god, you have learned the Divine Smite ability. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1__st__ level spell slot, plus 1d8 more for each spell lever higher than 1__st__ to a maximum of 5d8. The damages increased by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend._

"Well, that helps," Rael sighed as the glow died.

Medea's world had lit up in purple as her own power increased with the threshold of experienced passed.

_As you experience your real world use of magic, your power grows as you discover your specialization. You gain one more spell slot of the 1__st__ level as well as an Arcane Tradition._

_You may choose between:_

_Abjuration, the school of protection magic._

_Conjuration, the school of summoning_

_Divination, the school of futuresight_

_Enchantment, the school of enhancement_

_Evocation, the school of elemental power_

_Illusion, the school of trickery_

_Necromancy, the school of the dead_

_Transmutation, the school of alchemy_

"I choose the school of Evocation," Medea replied, letting the selected school glow and her power flared in her body, feeling like the power of nature flow through them. New formulas from her false memories suddenly made sense, like she suddenly understood a new form of math.

_By choosing to join this discipline, your natural talents are revealed. You can half the cost in time and gold to copy an evocation spell into your spellbook._

_You also show the ability to sculpt spells you cast. When casting an evocation spell that effects other creatures you can see, you can choose a number of creatures equal to 1 + the spell's level. Those selected creatures automatically succeed the saving throw and take no damage instead of half damage._

_With the advancement of your power, you may now learn two new spells appropriate to the spell levels available to you. Choose them now._

Medea's spellbook came out of her pack and opened to reveal a new list of spells she didn't know. They were all Level 1 spells. She had to carefully consider them before she finally decided to a pair. She had offense in _Burning Hands_ and _Magic Missile_. With that in mind, she decided to try and get a little more utility, so she picked on a pair...

"_Comprehend Languages_ and _Unseen Servant,_" Medea announced. One spell would allow her to overcome language barriers while the other would give her an invisible servant to use when she needed a little more stealth. The two spells lit up before the pages flipped to Medea's active spells, inscribing the new spells into the pages.

Kathra came last as her aura of blue spelled out the new abilities she achieved.

_With the training of true battle, you have gained the ability of Action Surge. On your turn, you can take an additional action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again._

As the words and details of their new abilities were outlined, the dice stopped spinning with one in front of them. Dorn's, Rael's, and Kathra's was a d10 with a 6 projected next to it. Medea's was a d6 with a 4 projected next to it. They each needed a moment, but it clicked. When someone went up a level, they could take a standard amount to increase their hit points, or roll the dice to try and do better, and then add the result to their Constitution modifier. Taking a chance could bring benefits, but the risk of small amounts was also very real.

Deciding not to take the risk, the party all chose a standard amount to gain. This increased their hit points, giving them a greater fighting chance in their current mission. Once the hit points were added, the light died down and the dice returned to the adventurers' pouches.

"Oooh, I feel better," Rael grunted, rubbing his chest.

"So that's what it feels like to level up," Kathra sighed with some relief. She felt stronger than ever.

"Oh yes," Medea nodded, realizing she now had a third 1st-level spell slot. Still, she had to wonder how a gang of thugs like the Redbrands managed to get an obviously magical monster like the one they fought on their side. She dug out her dice and rolled her d20, "Arcana check."

"Medea?" asked Dorn, retrieving the arrow which had been deflected off the monster's spines.

"Just a moment," Medea frowned as her dice rolled over the uneven ground. The dice came to a rest on a 10 turned 16. The dice flashed purple and Medea's eyes lit up in a flash of insight, "Dorn's right. That thing was a nothic. Former humans who were corrupted by dark magic. They constantly hunt for magical items and lore. They're crazy for it."

Kathra glanced to the crevasse where the now identified nothic had come up from, "Think there might be some kind of stash down there?"

Medea pondered what her information told her, "Probably. They hoard all of it somewhere."

"Okay, time for me then," Dorn nodded. Walking to the edge of the crevice, he angled himself so he could get the most of the room in front of him. Rubbing his hands together, he held them out and invoked his magic, "_Detect Magic._"

Dorn felt power pulse from his body and he felt like his senses come up for thirty feet in all directions. Immediately, he felt magic down in the crevice which he immediately felt was necromantic. It was faint, so it was nothing extreme in Dorn's guess. At the same time, under the north bridge at the edge of his senses, he could feel something magical at the bottom of the crevasse.

"There's something down there for sure," Dorn nodded. "Something magic aside from something in the general area at the bottom. I wouldn't think it was nasty since the Nothic would be down there too."

"And how do we get down?" asked Kathra.

"Uh, lemme check," Dorn replied, taking a moment to see the sides of the crevasse. Peering down, he blinked as he saw the rocky walls of the crevasse were jutting out at various spots and had plenty of footholds. "Hey, we can climb down this easily. It'll be like going down ladders or something."

"Willing to put your gold where your mouth is?" asked Rael, walking to the same spot to peer at the craggy walls of the crevasse. "You do have some of the highest dexterity."

Dorn grumbled, "Fine. I'll do it." Coming to the edge of the crevasse, he began scaling down the sides. True to his words, the edges of the walls made scaling them quite easy. Either throw a flaw, luck, or perhaps the nothic's own design, the walls were easy to climb. He quickly came down to the bottom of the crevasse, which chilled him to the bone.

"See anything?" called Rael from above.

"Lots of bones," Dorn called back with a grimace. The bottom of the crevasse was indeed filled with gnawed bones, likely the nothic's previous meals. He trudged through the ridiculous amount of bones, which slowed him down as he headed in the direction of the small magical signature.

Walking through the bones, Dorn gagged as he saw a body still with flesh on it, looking like portions were half removed from being chewed on. No doubt it was the remains of the Redbrands' last victim and the nothic's latest meal.

A crunch sounded behind him and Dorn spun around, lifting his bow. Instead of an enemy, he saw his friends climbing down the wall with Kathra having jumped a small distance and crushed a bunch of bones.

"Ew," she grimaced, her eyes landing on the dead body nearby.

"Yeah," Dorn nodded.

The group began following the Ranger of the group until they were under the north bridge. Dorn peered at the left crevasse wall where a cubbyhole was carved into the wall. It took his eyes a moment, but he was able to see a battered wooden chest inside, making him grin, "Jackpot!" He looked to his friends, "Over here guys!"

Dorn jogged up to the chest with his friends closing the gap. The box was dirty and battered, but still functioned for its purpose. Dorn pulled the chest out, feeling somewhat heavy as he did so. The group surrounded the box as Dorn tested the lid. There was no lock holding it shut and the lock built into the chest did not seem to work.

"Don't-!" Kathra warned before Dorn opened the box, "Traps?"

"Oh, right," Dorn grimaced. "Well, it wasn't so we're fine."

The group leaned in to see what was in the chest and quickly discovered not only piles of silver and gold, but also five gems, two vials filled with red fluid, and a round cylindrical case made of leather. In the box was also a longsword in a silver-chased scabbard. The hilt was shaped like a bird of prey with open wings.

"Sweet!" Rael grinned.

"Let's count!" Kathra insisted, although her eyes were on the sword.

The silver amounted to 160 pieces and the gold amounted to 120. They split the coins evenly between them, as usual. They split four the gems between each other with Medea winning the d4 dice roll to determine who got the fifth. Again, since she was the magical expert, Medea was allowed to keep the potions and the scroll. Medea tried an Arcana check, which succeeded and told her that the scroll was a Scroll of Augury, an item which would allow her to cast the spell written on it just once. Sadly, since it didn't match a spell a wizard could learn, she couldn't copy it into her spell book.

As for the sword…

"So, how do we know if this is magic or not?" asked Rael, lifting the sheathed sword. "Arcana, History?"

"You could just draw it," Kathra offered.

Medea shook her head, "I'll do an Arcana check first." She produced her d20 and tossed it to the ground among the bones. It landed on a total of 19. The die flashed and Medea's eyes lit up in recognition as she began running a hand up and down the sword, "It's a +1 Longsword. It doesn't have any other magic abilities than that.

"Well, I'm loaded down with weapons right now, so one of you guys can have it," Kathra shrugged. Dorn and Rael looked to each other as they looked at the sword.

"I'm proficient in Martial Weapons," Rael offered.

"So am I," Dorn replied. "But you already have a longsword."

"Your fighting style is Archery," Rael retorted. "You're better with arrows."

"Can't always use arrows now can I?" Dorn argued. "And you can use magic to boost your attacks."

"Only two spell slots right now," Rael countered.

"Boys, enough," Medea frowned, crossing her arms in impatience. "Just flip a coin, roll a dice, or something if you can't decide."

"Fine," both boys nodded. Dorn pulled out his d4 and held it up, "Okay, if this rolls a 1 or 3, it goes to me. If it is a 2 or 4, then it goes to you. Fair?"

"Fair," Rael nodded.

Dorn nodded and kicked some bones out of the way before he tossed the d4 and let it fall to the ground. Once it stopped, both young men looked to the dice and saw a prominent number 4 on the top. Dorn gave off a 'tsk' while Rael grinned and went to work at placing his regular longsword in his pack while he strapped the magical sword to his side. Drawing it, he saw that there was a name inscribed on the blade.

"Talon," Rael nodded as he read the name. "Well then, let's make a new legend Talon."

"Sure, sure," Dorn huffed.

The group were quick to climb back up the crevasse wall, the task just as easy as climbing down had been. Reaching the top, they ended up on the east side of the bridges. With their position, they were quick to see to their lefts sides was a room, which unlike the cavern was properly constructed with stone blocks. Growing quiet again, Rael gestured for the others to follow him as they headed for the room.

They faced no resistance as they entered, finding no one there. Instead, what they found were several barrels and crates stacked inside. Several were open with straw spilled onto the floor while crowbars and nails were haphazardly dropped near the open boxes.

"I guess this is where the Redbrands were hoarding the stuff they stole," Medea frowned.

"Seems like it," Kathra nodded as she headed to one box and looked inside. "Just some animal pelts. Nothing good we can sneak off for ourselves."

"Well, frontier towns do trade in practical stuff," Kathra shrugged. "Come on. We've got a family to find."

"Hold on!" Dorn called from the far right of the room where there seemed to be a simple alcove. Dorn was there, having wandered there to explore. He pressed his hands against the stone block wall and gave a grunt. His friends looked at him in confusion before there was a quiet groan and the wall pushed away.

"A secret door?!" Medea gasped. "How did you even notice it?"

"A Passive Perception of 15 helps," Dorn shrugged. "I just wandered in here to see if there was any extra loot and the hinges just…popped out to me."

"Then let's go see inside!" Kathra grinned, hefting her shortswords up. "Me first!"

Kathra came to the door before she kicked it open, making the door slam into the stone wall next to it before she jumped inside, swords at the ready, "Surprise!"

It was a good surprise entry, but it turned out that Kathra didn't need such a flashy entrance. They only entered a hall. One doorway was directly in front of her while another one was down the hall to the right.

"Oh," Kathra huffed. "Okay, all clear."

The group filed into the hall and Medea looked to the first doorway in front of them before giving the handle a squeeze, but the door would not open, "Locked."

"Not for long then," Kathra grinned as she approached. Lifting a foot, she prepared to kick the door down before Dorn's hand on her shoulder stopped her, "What?"

"Try a Strength Check," he offered. "Might make a better chance of getting inside."

"Fine, do it the boring way," Kathra huffed before she dug out her d20 and tossed it to the stone floor. The die landed on a 15 which turned to an 18, but still faded as it showed a failure. "Damn, this must be a high CR or something."

"Then I'll give it a shot," Dorn offered before he tossed his own d20. His die landed on a 3, turning to a 5. "Damn."

"Move over you babies," Rael laughed before throwing his own yellow d20. It landed on a 17, turning to a 20 before flashing. "Ha! Watch this!" Bracing himself, the wood elf Paladin made a shoulder check on the door and crashed into it with a loud thump. The wood splintered and broke, letting the door swing open. Rael stumbled slightly, but managed to keep his balance as he entered the room.

"Nice job Rael," Dorn commented as he followed his friend. Examining the room, he whistled as he saw the room was stocked with four longswords, twelve spears, six shortswords, six light crossbows, and eight quivers filled with bolts for the crossbows. "Hm, not bad."

"Anything we can use?" asked Medea, looking at the weapons.

"Nothing I'm very interested in," Dorn shook his head. "Our weapons are more than good enough. This seems to be just the extra weapons for the Redbrands."

"So nothing useful for us then," Rael sighed, rubbing his shoulder. "So let's move on."

The group returned to the hall and moved to the far end, coming to the door. Rael took the lead again and gripped the handle. Looking to his friends, he pushed open the door before stepping into the room.

The group entered the room, barely giving the group a vision of the crypt with three stone coffins. False columns on the walls were made to look like trees, giving the place a scene of elegance. What ruined it though was three skeletons covered in bits of rusty mail armor being propped up against the coffins. One was on either side about five feet away from the group at the door. There was another coffin behind the one on the right.

"Ew," Medea grimaced at the sight of the skeletons.

With the word, the skeletons seemed to tremble before their limbs began to move, lifting simple shortsword. Their sockets lit up with dark magical light as they began shambling towards the four adventurers.

"EYAH!" Medea cried out, shocked at the sight of the living dead.

"Roll for initiative!" Rael called out. His cry had the four colored dice appear and clatter across the ground. A red d20 for the skeletons met the other four, giving the initiative totals. Dorn's roll allowed him to go first, letting him fly into action.

Rael was directly in front of him and Kathra was to his left. With the room being narrow and having the three sarcophagi in it, space to for shooting arrows was a little narrow. Instead, he drew his shortswords and dashed into the fray. Coming to the skeleton 10 feet away from Kathra, he lashed out with both of his weapons. His dice flew as he lashed out with both weapons, but results of 6 and 4 which became 11 and 9. The dice faded and the blades either missed, or clashed against its rusty chainmail.

"Oh crap," Dorn hissed as the skeleton's hollow eyes flared.

The first skeleton lashed out with a shambling swing at Rael. The Paladin stood strong and the rusty weapon clanged harmlessly off of his armor with a dice roll of 8. The second swung at Darn, rolling 14, cutting across Dorn's torso with a cry of pain. A d6 rolled a total of 4.

"Dorn, get back before that thing poisons you" Kathra shouted, trying to see around her friend.

"It's just a scratch," Dorn insisted, grimacing with the red line glowing across his chest.

The final skeleton shambled across the room, coming behind its comrades. At first it seemed to be blocked by the others. However, the skeleton climbed on top of the right sarcophagus, shambling towards Medea while lifting it's rusty blade.

"Shit!" Medea hissed as the skeleton raised it's blade at her. It's red dice rolled a total of 12, ltting the skeleton swing down at the Wizard. Medea lifted her hands in an attempt to defend herself, but the blade came down too hard and fast, digging deeply into Medea's torso, eliciting a pained scream. His d6 rolled a 6 which became an 8, the maximum damage the skeleton could deal.

"MEDEA!" Rael cried, seeing the blazing red gash across Medea's torso.

"Just kill these things!" Medea grimaced, clutching her torso. That blow took her down to just 10 hit points! '_Why do Wizards have to be glass cannons?_'

"Outta my ways you guys!" Kathra roared. She ran to the sarcophagus on the left side of the room and managed to scramble onto it. Moving past Dorn, she moved next to the skeleton he was fighting as she drew her own weapons.

"HYAH!" the dwarf yelled, swinging her swords. One strike was true, totaling 23, and the sword crashed down on the undead's shoulder, dealing 7 damage. Her second roll was a 1, instant failure, and the skeleton stumbled, making Kathra miss.

"Go back to your slumber!" Rael called, swinging Talon with both hands. The dice rolled 18, which became 24 thanks to his own skill along with the abilities of his new sword. The weapon came crashing down on the skeleton's head. The sword cleaved through the skeleton's body with a glowing red flash. The bones quickly collapsed, revealing Rael's dice showed he dealt 13 damage. The bones then flashed yellow and vanished along with the junky weapon and armor.

Medea felt her body become energized as her turn came up. She backed away 10 feet from the skeleton so it couldn't strike at her again. Lifting her hand, she unleashed her trusty _Ray of Frost_. An 18 turned 24 was more than enough. The beam of cold energy crashed into the skeleton, making it rattle and take on a coat of frost. A d8 totaled the damage at 3.

Dorn prepared himself to take his turn, but a slam from behind told him something else was happening. He looked over his shouler and his blood ran cold when two men, dressed in leather armor, shabby clothes, and red cloaks, entered the room. Both took one look at the scene, and the party members fighting the skeletons.

"Intruders!" one of them shouted, drawing a shortsword alongside his comrade. It made Rael want to groan in frustration. A d20 came with their announcement, placing them in the initiative order It rolled an 11 turned 13, putting them in the same spot as the skeletons.

Dorn grimaced, but was quick to do an action. He moved back to be next to the skeleton instead of in front of it. Sheathing both swords, he took out his bow and loaded an arrow.

"Might as well get some use out of _Archery_!" he frowned, aiming at the first thug and firing. His d20 rolled, first showing a 19. It swiftly changed to a 26 thanks to both his skill and his new fighting style. The arrow flew true, sinking into the man's chest, making him grunt in pain as he took 7 damage.

"Guh!" the man grunted, but ripped the arrow out in a flash of red. "You'll pay for that you bastard!"

The skeletons, being closer, moved to attack first. The one on the sarcophagus attacked Rael, him being closer. It's dice rolled, but failed with an 8, stopped by his armor. The second turned to try and hit Dorn a second time. A 17 turned 21 hit once again, making Dorn yell in pain as the d6 revealed a total of 6 damage.

The two thugs ran into the fray. One charged for Rael while the second climbed up onto the sarcophagus to get at Kathra. Both began swinging with their weapons, enough to make two attacks as they struck. Rael's enemy failed utterly, his dice rolls not even breaking 10. Rael swiftly dodged the blows, showing he had much more skill than the thug.

Kathra ws not so lucky, her own enemy getting totals of 22 and 15, both landing true. Cross slashes cut across Kathra's torso, making her grunt in pain while two d6 dice totaled 11 damage thanks to the attacks hitting. The Fighter stumbled, dropping to one knee for a moment as her her points dropped down to a worrying 8. The thug sneered, seeing victory coming.

"Oh no you don't, bastard!" Kathra growled, lunging at the thug with her swords flashing. Her first strike landed with a roll of 18 turned 23. The sword cut across the man's abdomen, dealing 5 slashing damage. Her second strike missed, only a total of 13, sinking into the studded leather armor he wore.

"_Action Surge!_" Kathra snarled, feeling a surge of energy as she lashed out with another attack. Another dice roll came, this time landing on a natural 20. The dice flared and Kathra's sword was engulfed in blue light as she thrust at the thug. Her d6 rolled a 4 which turned to an 8 and then boosted to 11 with her modifier.

Her sword pierced the man through the chest, striking his heart. He gave a choking grunt before he fell back off the stone coffin. His body flashed blue and vanished, leaving several of his belongings behind.

"Tom!" the first thug gasped in shock.

Medea frowned, hearing the voices, but decided to focus on the skeleton which was still fighting her friends. Conjuring up her magic, she fired another beam of _Ray of Frost_ at the skeleton standing on the sarcophagus. The dice roll was a success, blasting the skeleton a second time, coating it with more frost. A d8 showed another 7 damage dealt. The skeleton stumbled, multiple bones cracked as it was covered in frost.

Rael eyed the damaged body of the skeleton and decided to end it. He swung at the undead with his sword. His dice was good to him as the sword struck, obliterating the skeleton's legs, causing it to collapse before it vanished in a blast of light.

Dorn shouldered his bow, knowing he didn't want to elicit attacks of opportunity. Instead, he drew his swords and slashed at the last skeleton. Once more his dice rolled, the first showing a natural 20. His sword blazed bright green as she swung at the skeleton. The attack obliterated the skull, sending the body collapsing into a heap before it vanished like the others.

With one more attack in hand, Dorn thrust at the remaining thug. Although not a natural 20, it was still a hit at 19 which had the blow cut across the man's torso for 3 damage. Since Dorn did not have the _Two-Handed Fighting Style_ like Kathra, he could only do the base damage with no modifier.

The last thug broke out into a cold sweat, seeing he was alone. His eyes glanced to the doors on his left and right behind him. He knew Medea was out there and he quickly made his choice. He lunged for Dorn, his sword swinging. His dice rolled 14 twice, catching Dorn across the chest in flashes of red, dealing 11 damage.

Dorn let off an almost agonized groan as he felt his legs grow weak, pain shooting through his body as his hit points dropped to just 1. A dangerous point to be at. Satisfied, the thug ran, trying to brush past the group as he made for the double doors at the far end of the room.

Rael was quick, swinging in at attack of opportunity. His d20 came up totaling 21. The blade was thrust, piercing the thug in the back. He cried out in pain before he collapsed. His body flashed like the others before vanishing in the usual motes of light, leaving behind more belongings.

"Clear?" Rael asked, looking around.

"Clear!" Medea called, running into the room. "How many need healing?"

"Me!" Dorn and Kathra let off groans as they slumped, huffing in pain and exhaustion.

"Good thing I have the potions then," Medea sighed. She opened her pack and pulled out two _Potions of Healing_. She passed them to her friends who eagerly gulped them down. Once they did, two bright greed d4 dice rolled in front of each of them. Dorn's dice read a total of 7 turned 9. This was because a regular potion restored 2d4 + 2 hit points. Kathra's read 10, eliciting sighs of relief from the both of them.

"Don't forget yourself," Rael commented, placing a hand on Medea's shoulder. He activated his _Lay on Hands_ ability, passing 8 hit points to Medea, healing her completely. Once all glowing marks of red were removed, he passed the last 2 hit points in his pool to himself.

Once they were collected, they looked to their surroundings. Dorn picked up one of the red cloaks from the dead Redbrands. Normally, the party would have checked for loot on any bodies they racked up, but in the heat of the moment, it was hard to think of that. Inside a room with, literally, red flags showing their enemies dropped things, they group started to examine for loot.

Dorn packed the cloaks, feeling it may be helpful to have a disguise in the future. The shortswords were nothing special and were quickly left behind. Kathra and Dorn both seriously considered the studded leather armor the two thugs had worn. Despite clearly having been pierced during the fight, the armor looked just fine.

Both removed their regular leather armor, folding it into their packs before donning the new armor. It only increased their AC to 15, but one extra point of AC could make all the difference in a fight.

In the belongings of the thugs was a large iron key which Kathra picked up. Clearly it was meant to unlock something important since only one of the thugs had them. With the key though came a pair of leather pouches which jingled with coins. The first held 14 silver while the second held 25 copper pieces.

As the group was divvying up the coins from the pouches, Kathra moved to one of the crypts and pushed at one of the lids. Scraping it open, she brazenly rooted around inside, causing her friends to turn to see her.

"Kathra…are you looting someone's grave?"

"Yup," Kathra replied. Inside were a bunch of bones and rags she tried to keep mostly undisturbed. She then gave off a 'whoop' before she retrieved what looked like a signet ring made of pure platinum. "Treasure!"

The rest of the group blinked at the sight, but then Dorn and Medea moved to the other two crypts and slid the lids open. Rael blinked, but then saw his friends rooting through the tombs, "Hey!"

"Oh relax. We're going to split it the usual way," Medea calmed her friend. With three such rings collected, they rolled to see who got to keep one. Rael's pout only became more pronounced when he missed out, a ring going to each of his friends.

"_Hello, is anyone there?_"

Arguing and conversation stopped as they heard the timid call from the open door near the leftside coffin. Rael lifted his sword and came to the door before sticking his head into the room. Inside was a large room which had the left and right ends being sealed off with bars. In the left cell was a boy who seemed almost thirteen while the right cell had a woman and an eighteen-year old curled together in another in the filthy cell.

At the far end of the room between the cells was a pile of dirty and ripped clothing. It was easy to guess that the rags were from former prisoners, although what the Redbrands were doing with them no one wanted to know.

"By Rillifane!" Rael gasped. Lowering his sword, he stepped into the room with his friends close behind at his back as they heard his gasps. "Are you all well?"

"Wh-why are you here?" the woman asked, hugging who was assumed to be her daughter.

"We're here to crush the Redbrands and rescue whoever they had imprisoned," Medea spoke up, stepping ahead of Rael. "Are you all the Dendrar family?"

"Yes!" the boy called from his cell. "Are you here to rescue us?"

"That's right," Kathra nodded as she approached one cell. "Just hold on and we'll get you out of here."

"Please!" the boy pleaded.

Kathra quickly retrieved the key she found and tried fitting it into the lock. Sure enough, the key fit and a turn had the lock click open and allowed the door to swing open. The boy stepped out of the cell before Kathra moved to the other cell and did the same. The two women burst from the cell and wrapped the boy in a tearful hug, all three sobbing in relief as they were able to see and hold each other again.

The group allowed the family have their moment, but Dorn stepped forward and spoke, "I'd hate to ruin this moment, but we need to get you out of here before more Redbrands find us."

The woman sniffled, but nodded and helped her children recover themselves before she looked to the group, "Can you get us out of here?"

"We know the secret way out," Dorn nodded. "Just follow us."

Rael took the lead and the group took the hallway back through the secret door through the storage room before stopping at the doorway, looking out for the crevasse. At the same time, Dorn took the right side to help peer for possible guards or patrols. As he did, his eyes landed on the wall next to him, spotting a seam in the wall which shouldn't have been there.

'_Interesting,_' he thought, but filed the thought away for later. He glanced back at his friends and the former prisoners. "Follow us and keep quiet."

They passed along the crevasse before they crossed the southernmost bridge and continued to the entrance of the tunnel which took the group into the base. Once they were there, Dorn looked to the family, "The tunnel goes about a hundred feet. After that, go about 200 feet to the southwest and you'll end up at the Alderleaf Farm. You know it?"

"Yes. Thank you," the woman nodded. "I…I do not know if I can properly repay you, but I know one thing which might do the job. My family used to run an herb and alchemy shop in Thundertree before the eruption and zombies. We had an emerald necklace heirloom hidden beneath a section of the storage shelves. If you go through there and find it, it's yours."

"We'll remember it," Dorn Rael nodded. "Now you'd better get running. This place is going to get wild soon."

"Thank you," the woman nodded before she herded her children down the tunnel, hopefully towards safety. As they vanished down the tunnel, three d10 dice which were white with gold numbers dropped to reveal 1-0-0. They were only visible for a moment before they broke into golden lights which the four adventurers absorbed.

"One hundred XP split between us," Medea guessed. "Nice."

"Right," Rael agreed, but grew serious. "Okay, so this way next?" he pointed to the stairway to their left which had a staircase going into a tunnel.

"I have a better idea," Dorn shook his head. "As we were scoping the area for guards in the storage room, I found another secret door on the other wall. It might take us behind any threats and get us some surprise on more of the threats."

"Sounds good to me," Kathra nodded, hefting her swords up. "I'd rather get the jump on these guys than the other guys getting the jump on us."

"I'd like it that way," Medea nodded, rubbing her chest where the remains of the skeleton's attack still echoed with some pain.

The group quickly moved back to the storage room where he found the new secret door. Dorn found the seam of the door again before he gave it a hard shove. The door groaned slightly as it opened, revealing another room. It was narrow and only had a staircase leading to a higher level which at first glance stopped at another brick wall.

"Okay guys. Are we ready?" asked Dorn. "We don't know what we're getting into when we open that door. Let's get our weapons ready."

Dorn drew an arrow and notched it while Rael took his sword and readied it. Kathra took her shortswords and Medea lifted her hands, a spell on the tip of her tongue. Rael moved to the top of the stairs with Kathra behind him with Dorn and Medea taking up the rear. Once they were at the door, Rael looked back to his friends who nodded to him. Nodding back, Rael steeled himself before he gave a sharp shoulder thrust to the wall.

The wall gave away with a loud slam before the doorway opened wide, opening into a room which looked like a bedchamber with elegant scarlet cloth draped on the walls. A bed was along one wall, looking like a noble's with a wooden chest at the foot of it. At the opposite wall was a writing desk with a short dark-bearded man studying a book. He had a princely ermine mantle on his shoulders and a beautiful glass staff was leaning against the desk next to him.

The man jumped as the door slammed open, allowing Rael and Kathra to storm inside and lift their weapons with Dorn and Medea behind them, aiming their projectile attacks. It didn't take long for the group to zero in on the man at the desk who jumped in shock at the sight of them.

"You look important," Kathra grinned. "Leader of the Redbrands I presume?"

The man huffed in the shock and his eyes darted over to the staff leaning on his desk before looking back to the group, "You presume correctly lady dwarf. Iarno Albrek. My men call me Glasstaff. I'm afraid I'm not much in a position to offer you proper refreshments, since you all came calling on me so suddenly."

"Yeah, well, we tend to do that to guys who order murders and kidnappings," Dorn frowned, keeping his arrow trained on Iarno's torso.

"Ah, that unfortunate business," Iarno nodded. "Well, it can't be helped. When one needs to lift themselves up, they tend to sometimes step on smaller folk to get there."

"That's your best reason?" Dorn scowled. "That's it? You kidnap an entire family and kill their husband and father just because it was for your ambition?!"

"Well, it's not like anyone cares," Iarno shrugged. "When a few nobodies stand up, the only course of action is to smack them back down. Then no one gets any funny ideas and I can use those pests for further profit with some deserving Drow or Duergar."

Kathra and Rael both scowled at the man with total loathing when they heard that. Being dwarf and elf, both knew the dark counterparts of their species, perhaps even more so in their current forms. Both Underdark denizens were notorious for their slavery practices and Iarno made it rather plan just by mentioning them what he had intended to do with his captives.

"Okay. I'm going to start hitting you now. I'm not going to stop until you're a smear on the ground!" Kathra growled, lifting up her swords.

Iarno frowned and grabbed his staff before the glass began to glow with magic light, "_Mage Armor!_" The staff shone and its light spread over Iarno's body, forming a protective barrier.

"Shit!" Medea hissed, recognizing the spell. "Roll initiative!" The dice rolled and everyone's numbers came up. Fortunately, the party managed to roll ahead of the evil mage. It gave the group an advantage, knowing that if they could put him down before he could cast a spell it would be all the better for them.

Due to the cramped quarters, Dorn couldn't use his bow again. So instead he drew his swords and charged for the mage, slashing both his swords in lines of silver. His first dice rolled a 16 turned 21, allowing Dorn's sword to swipe and overcome the magic barrier around Iarno, leaving red streak on his torso. The man almost shrieked in pain, making a shrill noise. It was a shallow wound, but it did 4 damage.

"HYAH!" Dorn continued with his second strike. His dice rolled, but only came to a total of 8, letting the blade bounce off Iarno's magic barrier, leaving him unharmed.

Medea knew her turn came after Dorn's, but she knew the spell Iarno was using. _Mage Armor_ was a spell which boosted the AC and Medea didn't miss how the glass staff glowed to make the spell happen. She suspected that Iarno had other spells loaded up in the thing to protect him from harm.

'_Well, I can go around that,_' Medea thought to herself. Gripping her crystal, Medea made the appropriate gestures with her hands, making a hazy purple glow where he hands moved before she announced her spell, "_Sleep!_"

Right at Irano's feet, a cloud of glowing purple fog rose up. At Medea's feet, d8 dice rolled to make a grand total of 31. The spell worked by using that total to put creatures to sleep who had less hit points than the total. It would then deduct their hit points from the total, making it possible to work on multiple targets, so long as their hit points were lower than the total.

Medea was slightly worried when she cast the spell, but she felt confident with a total of 31. Sure enough, Irano let off a brief cry, perhaps a denial or something else before his eyes drew heavy. He made a grunt before he collapsed into heap, audible snores coming from him.

Things were silent for a moment before the three adventurers looked to Medea. Kathra put her thoughts into words first, "Well...that was a bit of a letdown."

"That's it?" asked Rael, sheathing his sword.

"That's how we Wizards roll," Medea grinned, looking downright smug. "Fight smarter, not harder." She looked to the still sleeping mage, "For all his talk though, I was kind of expecting more myself."

"Better for us," Rael shrugged. Sheathing his sword, he pulled out the hempen rope from his pack and began using it to tie Irano up, keeping his hands behind his back before tying his arms against his torso, "Now then, let's have a long talk with the townmaster and put an end to the Redbrands, shall we?"

Medea helped herself to the glass staff that Irano had been using. She could tell it was a magical staff. That was as plain as day. Since she didn't have the _Identify_ spell, she would have to take some time to analyze the staff to figure out everything it could do. At the very least, Medea could be sure it likely wasn't cursed. Still, it was best to be sure.

As Rael was tying up Irano and Medea was analyzing the staff, Dorn helped himself to the papers on the desk to see who the Redbrand leader was writing to. Digging out his d20, he whispered, "Investigation Check." He rolled the d20 across the tabletop, letting it roll to a natural 20. The die flashed and Dorn confidently dug through the papers.

He was able to recognize that many of the papers were merely orders for alchemical supplies and other things that a magic-user like Irano would use. Dorn mentally marveled at how much he was ordering, likely the Glasstaff was working on some kind of potion or alchemic formula. Riffling through several papers, he found one in particular which caught his attention.

_Lord Albrek,_

_My spies in Neverwinter tell me that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They could be working for the dwarves. Capture them if you can, kill them if you must, but don't allow them to upset our plans. See that any dwarven maps in their possession are delivered to me with haste. I'm counting on you Iarno. Don't disappoint me._

The letter was signed not with a name, but a stamp shaped like a spider and made with black ink. That in itself made it obvious that Iarno was in league with the Black Spider.

"Looks like we found a clue," Dorn announced, waving the letter. "Seems Irano here knows the Black Spider and about Gundren."

"Is that so?" Kathra frowned, turning to the snoring mage. "Well, seems like we're all going to have a nice talk with Sildar back in town then."

All four party members had dark grin son their features at the thought.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Miles' House**

Steven checked over his papers and handbooks as he was busy creating his character. Since he was using homebrew materials, he had to constantly check on them. Usually Miles was good about homebrew material and kept the ones he approved of, so he didn't see anybody putting up a fuss with his choices.

"Sup nerds?"

Steven looked up to see three girls from school entering the room. The first he recognized as Miles' sister Cassie. She had the same color of hair with curls that reached down to her shoulders. She was of average figure, not really standing out. In school, she was one of those girls who could get along with everyone, although she was cute enough to get a few dates with some guys, much to Miles' annoyance.

With her was a redhead with a braid and a lot of freckles on her face. She was wearing a yellow shirt with jeans and a denim coat. Her name was Lyn Corkorin, one of the local farm girls who went to the same school the rest of them did. She was a cheery and bright girl, kind of the homegrown type which made her farmgirl persona all the more noticeable.

The last girl looked more like the cheerleading type with the figure and face to match, a testament to Cassie's ability to make friends from all of the cliques. Her name was Heather Growe, a blonde who wanted to stand out by putting blue streaks in her hair. Naturally it just gave her a more noticeable style which made a fad among her fellow cheerleaders. Still, Heather didn't quite play the stereotype since she wasn't some snobby rich girl who looked down at nerds and people who weren't as wealthy, connected, or good looking as her.

"Hey Cas, ladies, what's up?" Steve asked as he looked up from his papers.

"Just looking to see what you guys were up to," Cas answered, looking around the room. "So…where are my brother and his friends?"

"Snack run I guess. I got here only a minute ago," Steve asked. "So I'm just working on my character and waiting for them to come back."

"Weird. His car's still here and so is Kyle's," Cassie pondered. "But I guess the 7-11 is close enough to walk anyway."

Lyn walked past Cassie and shuffled through some of the character creation papers, "You know, I'm kind of curious about this game you guys are always playing. Half the time when I listen in, you all sound like you're having a riot."

"Smart aleks fighting in a fantasy world," Steve chuckled. "This one time, we were fighting this giant that was trying to crush us and Rachel's character just zooms by and goes 'fuck youuuuu' as she goes, firing an arrow at it." He snorted at the memory, remembering how off the wall the action was compared to how tense the fight was.

"Huh?" Heather blinked.

"You had to be there," Cassie shook her head. She still remembered the laughs from her brother's friends in the house.

"Sounds fun," Lyn nodded. "So…do you guys have any spare spots for the game?"

"Lyn?" Cassie blinked at her friend.

"Well, we were just hanging out, right?" Lyn shrugged. "I'm curious and since it seems like the game hasn't started, I'm sure we can just get in on it if we wanted."

"I dunno. Seems kind of involved," Heather bit her lip, looking at the stack of materials Miles had collected. "I mentioned Dungeons and Dragons to my mom and she told me stories of stuff that happened with it."

"That was involved with drugs and god knows what else, plus with religious folks and politicians getting freaked out over it," Steven waved off. "And I know we're all starting at level 1 so it wouldn't be too hard to have a trio of newbies joining in."

"Hey, I can play too you know," Cassie huffed.

"I'm in!" Lyn smiled. "So how do you make a character?"

"I guess I can give it a try," Heather shrugged. "But one creepy word or someone gets too into it and I'm gone!"

"Fair enough," Steve nodded. "Okay, pull up chairs and I'll pass out the sheets. Cassie can help me explain how to do the process and all that."

So the explanation went, talking about races, classes, and the other details which went into creating a character for a D&D campaign. Cassie already knew it, having taken part in a few games herself. Her friends needed a few moments to really get through it all, but soon they had gotten the gist of it. It was Heather who asked if the seven in the Player's Handbook were all the races they could use. Steven then cracked open _Volo's Guide to Monsters_ for several more choices which Heather and Lyn both took a liking to. Cassie instead went to some of the homebrew material, looking through a printout called _Compendium of Forgotten Secrets: Awakening _by a publisher called_** Genuine Fantasy Press**_.

"Okay, everyone rolled and applied their scores?" Steve asked.

"Yes," came the chorus of replies.

"Okay. So in place of Miles, I'll ask, let's introduce your characters and get to know them, shall we?"

"Okay," Cassie shrugged. "Well, my name is Medusa Greensong, a Human Warlock who is of noble descent."

"Isn't a Medusa a monster?" asked Lynn, holding up the _Monster Manual_ and flipping to the M section.

"Yes," Cassie nodded. "You see, the Greensongs used to be a regular noble family, knowing for celebration and joy. Medusa's mother was a well-known woman for organizing and being the life of celebration with beauty and a body that age couldn't seem to bring down. Sadly, when Medusa was coming to adulthood, during the party, her mother suddenly transformed into a Medusa, terrifying the guests and turning several to stone by accident."

"The typical story," Steven shook his head in mock sympathy.

"Well, the mother was regretful and banished herself to an isolated property the Greensong family had so she wouldn't hurt anyone, unlike what most Medusa's would do," Cassie explained. "My Medusa though changed her name to the species her mother had become as a promise to help her mother break the curse, or at least allow her to see her friends and family without turning to stone. Although, she did see her mother's face during her change and found her inhuman appearance to be enchanting and she secretly desires to have that for herself."

"Ew, snake hair? Not for me," Heather grimaced.

"So who's her patron then? A fiend?" asked Steve.

"Nope," Cassie denied, making a popping noise at the 'p'. "Her studies and research brought her to contact The Serpent Empress, a Medusa who has achieved power equal to the fiends and archfey and claimed a kingdom in the Shadowfell. Medusa made a pact with her to one day gain the power to free her mother of her curse, and perhaps gain that otherworldly beauty for herself."

"Oooh, how vain of you," Lyn laughed.

"Too right," Steven agreed. "Okay, and her stats?"

"She's got 15 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 16 Constitution, 12 Intelligence, 12 Wisdom, and 15 Charisma," Cassie replied. "So that makes those modifiers, +2, +0, +3, +1, +1, and +2."

"Hm. Not bad," Steven nodded. "Okay, Heather? Lyn? Which of you next?"

"I can go," Heather volunteered. "I've become Aryn Ahlorsath, a noble Triton Cleric in the service of Eadro, the Merfolk deity."

"Oooh a Triton. None of us have used one yet," Steven nodded. Tritons were denizens of the Elemental Plane of Water which entered the Material Plane after their enemies the Sahuagin. The underwater reavers fled there to escape their enemies and try to conquer the territories which had no idea they were there.

Heather continued, "Since she's the noble type and a cleric, she sees it as her duty to bring Eadro's will to the surface, for a tempest does not care if it is over the sea or over the land. It will bring down it's wrath on all who displease it. So she brings Eadro's word to encourage righteousness as well as smiting evil where she finds it."

"Not a bad story," Cassie complimented her friend. "So what are her six scores?"

"Um…" Heather looked to her paper. "Strength is 12, 12 Dexterity, 14 Constitution, 11 Intelligence, 12 Wisdom, and 15 Charisma."

"So +1, +1, +2, +0, +1, and +2," Steve nodded. "That's not too bad, but it doesn't really let you be kickass at anything either."

"Wait until you see me use some spells," Heather stuck her tongue out at him. "Eadro's wrath will blow you away!"

"We'll see," Steven laughed. "Lyn?"

"Well, I'm Thalai Thuilaga," Lyn grinned. "I'm a Goliath Barbarian outlander. I come from the north and earned my nickname Hammerhand when I punched out three men with just three punches!"

"Scary," Steven play-trembled. "So why'd she leave her tribe? Goliaths are community-minded."

"Simple. Thalai was getting pretty well-respected during a hunt which she helped take down a mammoth, scoring the killing blow," Lyn explained. "A rival of hers got jealous and during another hunt, sabotaged it and a bunch of the hunters nearly died. She and her friends blamed Thalai and got the leader to banish her. So now Thalai adventures to sharpen her skills so she can come back and rejoin her tribe, as well as smash the bitch who got her banished in the first place."

"Whoo!" Cassie and Heather rooted for their friend.

"And before you ask, her scores are 16 Strength, 12 Dexterity, 16 Constitution, 11 Intelligence, 12 Wisdom, and 11 Charisma," Lyn continued. "So, +3, +1, +3, +0, +1, and +0."

"Perfect for a barbarian," Steven complimented. "Alright, my turn then. Ladies, please feast your eyes on the charming face of Romeus Tanglewood, halfling bard, lover of ladies, and intrepid explorer."

"Oooooh!" the three girls teased in mock awe.

"Yes, that's the ticket," Steve laughed. "Romeus is typical of his profession with a desire for the fun stuff in life be it good food, good times, fine wine, and even finer women. So he journeys to all of the taverns, celebrations, and winemakers he can find to pursue the ultimate good time. Of course, he joined up with this motley crew seeing it being a band of three lovely ladies. No man, especially one like him, can resist that kind of temptation."

"Flatterer," Cassie grinned as Heather rolled her eyes and Lyn giggled. "And his stats?"

"10 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 11 Intelligence, 12 Wisom, and 15 Charisma," Steve answered. "So +0, +2, +1, +0, +1, +2. He's more of a slippery one and not a front line fighter. Perfect for a Bard."

"Cool," Lyn smiled. "So what adventure are we going to start with?"

"Well, Miles said he was going to start with something new, and I assume this is it," Steve pointed to the leatherbound book in the middle of the table. "I looked through it and found it had plenty of adventures in it. The first one's called _The Lost Mine of Phandelver_ so I figured we'd start that one when he and the others get here."

As he finished his statement, the book on the table jerked before flying open. It opened to the blank pages after the first four sketched characters. Glowing gold, the character sheets of the four new players were drawn to the book before being sucked in. The pages then quickly drew themselves, forming pictures of a Triton, a Goliath, a Halfling, and a Human. The four players were the covered in a golden aura which made them cry out before they vanished, the aura being drawn into the pages before the sketches filled with color.

(LINE BREAK)

**The Crimson Dragon**

The Barkeep was polishing another tankard, humming as he waited for business. He may have run a tavern to help outworlders, but he also had his usual business dealings whenever he moved the tavern around. Business was always good in worlds where adventurers were always needed to run around.

As he polished the tankard, he stopped when a flash of gold dropped four figures to what he affectionately called the 'Landing Area' of his tavern. The very centre of it all with plenty of space to land without hurting oneself on the floor. Three female voices and one male one groaned from the impact, letting the Barkeep know it was time to get to work.

He eyed the group, taking in their features. The first he noticed was a woman of high human beauty, being of a slime svelte figure wearing a purple dress which hugged her frame enticingly and was dark green. Slits ran up the sides, exposing the thigh high boots she wore and her hips. Her torso was covered in leather armor which hugged her suggestively, but protected her like it should, inlaid with snake-like images. Her hair was dark black, but seemed to have a shade of green to it as it fell down her back in a very loose ponytail while her bangs framed her face. Next to her was a wooden staff, carved to look like a snake, and a mean one at that, inlaid with emeralds.

'_A warlock then,_' the Barkeep noted, noticing the type on sight.

The second woman was a Triton, likely a noble with her fine blue clothing which opened at her thighs and exposed her legs, a necessity for Tritons since they had fins on their calves regular pants would restrict. She also didn't wear boots since her hands and feet were webbed for water travel. A mace was strapped to her side, a trident to her back, and underneath the blue robes was a suit of scale male. Dangling from her neck was a spiral-shaped amulet, the symbol of Eadro, if the Barkeep wasn't mistaken. Her face was sapphire blue like the rest of her and she had long green hair tied into a graceful braid, making her seem like a maiden rather than a noble despite what her fine clothing would suggest.

'_Cleric, although rare to have a merfolk deity,_' the Barkeep mentally noted.

The third lady of the group was easily the most noticeable. She had to be at least seven feet tall with slate gray skin. She wore furred leather on her body, although the abdomen and most of her arms were uncovered, showing strong abs, and hinting that she was used to far colder temperatures. A greataxe was strapped to her back with handaxes on her hips. Her pants seemed homemade as well as her boots, but of great skill and quality. Her face was a beauty for the north and blood red hair tied in a braid meant only for function, rather than looking pretty like women from civilization. Blue slash marks were painted on her cheeks, giving her some color at least.

'_Rare to see a Goliath on their own,_" the Barkeep hummed.

The last of the group was the only male. He was also the shortest at just over three feet tall. He wore a flashy red vest with a white shirt and brown pants and nice boots, making him look like he was wearing a costume. He had well-groomed black hair and expressive green eyes. Strapped to his backpack was a Halfling-sized lute, making it clear to the Barkeep that he was looking at a Bard. His only means of physical defense was the rapier that rested on his waist, typical of the class who relied more on magic..

'_Lucky lad to be surrounded by three beauties, but give me a tough dwarven woman any day,_' the Barkeep chuckled as he waited for the four to recover.

"AAAAAHHH!"

'_Well, time to get to work,_' the Barkeep smiled as he set his cloth down.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N**: Now we have a second party starting their adventures. Needless to say it may put them in over their heads for a while. It brings a some new perspective of things, especially since two of the newbies know very little about the game.

**Homebrew: **The Serpent Empress patron comes from _Compendium of Forgotten Secrets: Awakening _by William Hudson King and published by Genuine Fantasy Press. It is a great resource for warlocks looking for new patrons and plenty of other things for other classes. I changed the story of the patron to fit the Forgotten Realms, but the mechanics are real. I highly recommend it both for new mechanics, but also a lot of lore to RP with.


	4. On The Trail

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. That belongs to Wizards of the Coast and not me. I am only writing this for fun and the love of the game.

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 3: On The Trail**

Romeus, formerly Steve, drank deeply from the tankard the friendly Barkeep had given him and his friends. His alcohol tolerance seemed to have taken a sharp upcurve. That suited him perfectly, since the explanation he just got drove him to need a drink.

After he, Medusa (Cassie), Thalai (Lyn), and Aryn (Heather) got over their fright and screaming, the Barkeep helped them all calm down and explained what was going on. It seemed almost too fantastic to be true, being transported into the very world that he and his friends played adventures in for so long. Only…he was living it and he really couldn't argue what he was seeing with his own two eyes.

"This has to be a dream," Aryn muttered, playing with her own cup, untouched.

"Wish it was," Medusa nibbled on her lip. "But that means my brother and his friends are here too. They're out in the middle of this." The Barkeep had been helpful in answering their questions at least, confirming that four adventurers had appeared from their world. It didn't take a genius detective to figure out who they were.

"We should find them," Thalai suggested. "Strength in numbers. Besides, they're the experienced ones. They know this game best aside from Medusa and Romeus."

"But this isn't a game!" Aryn cried. "If we get killed out there, we're dead! We're done!"

"Then we don't die," Romeus retorted. "Listen, not even death is permanent here anyway. There are a ton of spells which can bring us back from the dead."

"But we shouldn't die in the first place!" Aryn shouted back.

"Calm. Down," Medusa snapped at the pair. "No one's dying. We can't just sit here either though. The best thing we can do is try to find D-Dorn and the others and try to finish the adventure here so we can all go home."

"Okay. So how do we do that?" asked Thalai.

Romeus frowned, tapping the table in thought, "To do that we'd need to increase our levels and get stronger. To do that, we'd need to go on quests and fights, that sort of thing."

"But we'd die," Aryn whimpered.

"Not if we're careful," Thalai reassured her Triton friend. "We play it smart and we can get out of here no problem."

"Mnn," the Triton murmured.

"Okay," Romeus nodded. Draining the rest of his tankard, he looked to the Barkeep, "So, where do we start?"

The Barkeep smiled from his post, "Well, since the adventure's already underway, the Dungeon Master will let you lot drop right into Phandalin where it's all starting up. That way you don't fall too far behind your friends. It'll also give you a chance to bring up your levels with some of the quests they didn't do when they went to fight the Redbrands."

"So we level up and then meet back with the others after they deal with the Redbrands," Medusa nodded. "Okay, every adventure has at least a few side quests to go on. We can use those and get our levels up to something high enough to fight the guy at the end of all this."

"Easy peasy," Thalai agreed.

"I guess," Aryn sighed.

"Well, all the luck to you all then," the Barkeep nodded. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll all be fine."

"Thanks," Romeus nodded. "So, how do we even get to Phandalin in the first place?"

The Barkeep broke out into a grin, "Oh, that's the easy part. My tavern's special in that it can help drop the adventurers off where they need to be. You'll show up in Phandalin and then you're on your own."

"Joy," Romeus sighed, scratching his head. "Okay, let's go then."

The group got up, with some reluctance from Aryn, before they moved to the front door of The Crimson Dragon. Romeus put his hand on the handle and sighed before he pushed it open, letting sunlight pour in. Stepping out, he and his friends blinked as they stepped into an alleyway between two log buildings. Blue skies shone overhead and birds were heard along the shuffle of daily life in medieval fantasy.

The group looked to each other before they dared to walk out from between the buildings. They walked into a muddy main street and had to stop, seeing the people bustle about like something out of a story. Even more amazing, some of them weren't human, but halflings or even elves, which made it all so surreal. For a moment, even Aryn forgot about the potential dangers they would see and was amazed by the fantasy brought to life.

"Wow," Thalai summarized succinctly.

"And this is just one of the small towns," Medusa whispered. It was a small sleepy town, but somehow her brother's descriptions during his games just couldn't compare to the real thing. "If…if this is the kind of thing my brother imagines, then I can see why he likes the game so much."

"Yeah," Thalai and Aryn both agreed. Thalai then looked to Romeus, "So, how do we figure out what quests need doing?"

"Easy. Go to a local inn or tavern. They're usually the same thing," the halfling replied as the group walked into the main circle. They immediately drew looks, none of them save Medusa appearing ordinary by their standards. "You can usually drum up rumors there."

"Like that place?" Aryn asked, pointing to a nearby building with a sign marking it as Stonehill Inn.

"That would be the place," Romeus nodded. "Okay, let's walk in, get comfortable, and try to make friends with the locals."

Medusa glanced to her friend, "Maybe you could try playing some music to put everyone in a good mood. Bards are good for loosening tongues."

"Get the ale and wine flowing and I'll be everyone's friend," Romeus replied. "I'm a Bard, so I made sure my Charisma is one of my highest stats. I can just roll in and make myself friends with everyone."

"Sounds handy," Medusa nodded as they approached. "Okay guys, let's get into character."

The reached the door and let themselves in. Inside the tavern portion, all eyes turned to the group with some surprise. Being so far inland and south, no one had likely seen a goliath or a triton before and all of them behind a Halfling just made it almost funny.

"You know, I think I heard a joke like this once," Romeus snickered. "A halfling, a goliath, and a triton all walk into a bar."

"I'm sure," Medusa shook her head, walking forward. They group found an empty table and sat themselves down. Soon the tavern mistress approached, her eyes looking between the group.

"Um…welcome. How can I help you all?" she asked.

"Some meals would be appreciated," Aryn smiled, trying to appear disarming. "How much would that be?"

"Oh, just three silver pieces each," the tavern mistress nodded. "Are you all staying? We already have an adventuring group renting the rooms…for now."

"And adventuring group?" Medusa perked up. "Did they consist of a ranger, a paladin, a wizard, and a fighter? Human, dwarf, elf, and half-elf?"

The woman blinked, "Why…yes. Yes they did. Do you know them? They're out performing some…duties for us, but I expect them to return…maybe."

"Ah, how about that? We caught up to them!" Romeus laughed. "They're friends of ours who suggested we come up to Phandalin for some adventuring work. We thought we had gotten here ahead of them but I guess not." Underneath the table, Romeus dug out a wine purple d20 and let it drop to the floor, concentrating on Persuasion. The die rolled, landing on a 16 before turning to a whopping 21 before it flashed and vanished.

The tavern mistress blinked but then sighed, "Oh that's a relief. We get a little wary about new faces and all that. You say you're adventurers with your friends?"

"Certainly," Aryn nodded. "We were told this town has need of a few."

"I say we do!" a farmer called from another table. "Just ask Sister Garaele at the Shrine of Luck across the road. Came back from a few days all wounded and tired. I ask you, who'd attack a woman of faith?"

"Orcs I bet!" another man, a miner huffed from the same table. "I heard there are some on the east end of the Triboar Trail. Townmaster's looking to run them off so I bet he's willing to pay some coin."

"You know," another tavern maid wandered to the group. "Daran Edermath's a retired adventurer down at his orchard. He probably knows a thing or two that adventurers like yourselves might be able to help out with."

"Ah, excellent," Medusa smiled. "Although, you wouldn't happen to know what our friends were up to, do you? I mean, not now, but what brought them to Phandalin in the first place?"

"They were hired by Gundren Rockseeker to escort supplies to some mine he won't tell anyone about," the tavern maid offered, earning a look from her boss which made her flinch. "Ah, but I don't know anything else than that."

"My dear, we wouldn't dare ask more than that," Romeus reassured her with a charming smile. "Anyway, in return for the food and information, how about I play some songs and get some cheer into this place?"

"Well, that would be lovely," the matron of the tavern smiled. "Go right ahead while we get your meals ready."

Romeus grinned and set his chair at the far end of the tavern where everyone could see him. Once there, he pulled out his lute which was strapped to his back and began to play a cheery and energetic song which had notes spilling through the room. The other patrons began to laugh and cheer as his infectious notes brought up everyone's moods and made them forget their troubles.

"I didn't know he could play so well," Talai blinked.

"I didn't think he could," Medusa blinked, but saw a purple flash at the halfling's feet and she realized he must have made a Performance Check and passed. The dice sure came in handy after all.

Everyone cheered and had a good time, but many of the miners and farmers had to leave to get back to work, but they all left feeling invigorated and with a spring in their steps which would lead them to have a productive day. The adventuring party enjoyed their meals with their new friends among the populous before they decided to begin their own questing for gold and experience. Medusa paid for the meals and the group set out.

Coming outside of the tavern thought, the group stopped when they spotted four men dressed in leather armor, looking rather rough, and wearing red cloaks. They stood 10 feet away from the group. None of them had nice looks on their faces as they eyes roved on the three females of the group.

"Nice show you put on there," one of the four spat on the ground. "Now's a good time for you to move on though. Leave your stuff on the ground and be on your way."

"Or the lady folk could come along with us if they want to keep it," another member of the group leered.

Thalai growled and lifted her greataxe from her back and made a show of holding it in her two hands. "You little wimps think you could take on a Goliath woman? Ha! I'd break you in two!"

"Hmph! Seems you lot just don't listen like the others didn't," the leader of the four grinned, drawing a shortsword. "Fine. We can do this the hard way!"

"I agree!" Medusa hissed, her eyes flaring to a serpentine iris while she lifted her staff.

Four d20's flew from the four consisting of Romeus' wine purple, a deep ocean blue for Aryn, an earthen yellow for Thalai, and a snake scale green for Medusa. From the four thugs, a red d20 representing all of them flew to meet theirs. The thugs didn't seem to notice as the dice rolled to a stop before the numbers were settled.

'_Me first, Thalai second, them third, Aryn fourth, and Medusa last,_' Romeus thought as he prepared for his next move. "Let's make this showy!" Rather than his sword, Romeus pulled out his lute and began strumming a tune, focusing his magic before he looked to one of the thugs, "_Vicious Mockery!_"

Romeus' words turned to the halfling language before he began singing a rather rude and insulting song about his chosen target, the thug across from him. The man couldn't understand the words, but he certainly got the meaning from the mocking tone and cutting words. A d20 dropped to his feet, rolling a 1. Immediately the man cried out, gripping his ears which had purple light flash, stumbling from psychic damage. Next to Romeus' foot, a d4 came to a stop showing a bright 4.

"Wait, a d4? Is that it?" Aryn asked.

"Vicious Mockery is more debuff than damage," Romeus shrugged, slinging his lute over his back again. "But since it took effect, that guy has disadvantage on his next attack."

"Damage is what I'm for!" Thalai growled before she ran at the far left thug with her greataxe lifted for a strike. Crossing the 10 feet between them at a speed which surprised the thugs, she prepared to attack as a yellow d20 appeared again. It landed on a 15, becoming 16. Thalai's axe swung hard, crashing into the torso of the thug, making the man roar in pain as the area lit up with bright red light. A d12 rolled when the blow struck, indicating a 3 turned 6 in damage.

Aryn gulped and grasped her whirlpool amulet for Eadro. Gulping, she held it up before remembering what the Barkeep, Romeus, and Medusa told her about using attacks and magic, "_S-Sacred Flame!_"

Immediately, flame which moved and surged almost like water emerged from the amulet and fired directly at the thug who stood across from her. The thug yelped and tried to move, surprised by the show of magic, making a red d20 appear. It landed on a 6 turned 8 before fading. The thug's attempt to move failed as the spell came in too quickly and crashed against him. From the impact, a blue d8 rolled to show she dealt 8 damage.

"You bitches!" the last thug roared. "Kill 'em all!" One thug tried to slash at Thalai while the rest charged to attack the others with their swords drawn.

Romeus' attacker came first, launching his attacks. The first attack rolled two dice as the man stumbled as he tried to ignore the ringing in his ears. A 3 and a 1 showed an utter failure. Growling, he shook his head before attempting another swing, rolling a 5 as Romeus ducked out of the way.

"Ha! I may be small, but I'm quick!" Romeus laughed.

Thalai's attacker gulped, but swung rapidly with both of his own weapons. The first attack was a 10, letting Thalai parry the strike with a dismissive snort. The second was even worse, being blocked again as Thalai laughed, "Come on, stop trying to hit me and hit me!"

Aryn trembled as the thug came at her, swords swinging wildly. The first attack rolled 3 turned 5, harmlessly impacting her scale mail, doing no harm. Frustrated, the thug tried again, stabbing at her torso. He only rolled a natural 1, almost tripping and not even getting close to Aryn, much to her relief.

Medusa's glare was like a serpent's poised to strike as the thug came in close for an attack. The dice rolled, showing a total of 7, letting Medusa's body snap by reflex and parry the attack. Undaunted, the thug tried again, rolling a 3, getting parried once again.

Medusa pushed the sword aside before she swung, using momentum with her staff in both of her hands. Like the others, her dice rolled to determine her fate. Unlike the others, her dice rolled a natural 20. Her staff flared a serpentine green, making it appear like a real snake, before she smashed it against her opponent's head. A d8 rolled for the strike landing, showing 4 which became an 8 before the modifier made it a 10. The staff hit hard, making part of the man's head light up as he gave off a grunt while stumbling from the strike.

Romeus gulped, but drew his rapier since his magic at the moment may not be able to keep the thug off balance forever. The weapon in his hand, he lunged for the thug's torso. His dice were not kind as he rolled a total of 6, missing the thug entirely. The man laughed and instead prepared to strike back.

"This is how you hit someone!" Thalai grunted, swinging her axe down on the puny thug in front of her. Her dice totallyed 20, letting the axe land on the thug's shoulder in a flash of red. A roll totaling 14 had the axe bisect the man in a haze of red. He gave a choked scream before his body vanished in a haze of yellow pixels. Left behind was his cloak and a few belongings.

Aryn quickly pulled her trident and shield from her back, knowing she couldn't use long rage magic up close. Gripping with light blue knuckled, she lunged to stab at her opponent. A total of 12 wasn't enough as the tident's points only stuck into the man's padded leather armor, but didn't penetrate.

The thugs rallied, moving for more attacks. Romeus' opponent lashed out rolling a 1 and a (not natural) 20. Romeus was able to dodge the first attack, only to be caught across the chest by the second, dealing 7 damage, nearly knocking the halfling out, "GAH!"

"Romeus!" Arlyn screamed, but then her scream turned to pain as her abdomen got stabbed by her opponent, dealing 4 damage. The thug sneered, "Better pay attention!" he pulled his first sword back before he slashed at her again. The dice rolled to an 8 and Aryn was able to lift her shield to block the attack.

Medusa watched her friends take nasty hits, but had to focus on her own opponent who was swinging, well, thuggishly at her. She parried one blow, rolling at a natural 1 which meant it instantly failed. As she parried it though, the second roll totaled 12, letting the thug slash her across the belly, eliciting a cry of pain. The dice likewise were not kind, taking 5 hit points from her.

Romeus groaned from the pain he was in, bright red glowing across his chest. He shook his head, but lunged at his opponent again, rapier pointed out. Once more the dice rolled, this time coming to a natural 20. Purple magic shone from his weapon as he stabbed into the chest of the thug. The thug screamed as his heart was pierced for 18 damage, making the man burst into purple lights, letting his items drop to the ground.

"Oooh," the halfling groaned, wobbling from the pain and sudden motion. Far from healthy, he was still alive the very least. He looked to where his other friends were fighting, "Thalai, help Aryn first!"

"Okay!" the goliath woman nodded before she turned her attention to the thug fighting Aryn. She stomped over to his open side, making him stop and turn to see her. His eyes widened in shock as she towered over him, swinging her axe down. A total of 23 had the axe strike, and the damage being 15 meant she hit hard. The impact crushed the man's torso, making him vanish into more motes of light like the others.

"Thanks Thalai!" Aryn nodded as her turn rolled up. Gripping her trident, she saw the last thug who suddenly realized he was now alone. Gritting her teeth, Aryn slung her shield on her back before she charged with both hands on her trident. As she moved, her dice read a total of 20, letting the points of her trident strike clean through the man's armor, dealing 3 damage, causing him to choke.

"Guh!" he gagged, pulling himself off the weapon. He glanced wildly around, seeing his men were dead. Grunting, he turned, "Sod this!"

"Oh no you don't!" Medusa hissed. She and Aryn both raised their weapons and swung at the man's back as he attempted to flee. Their attacks of opportunity came, rolling 10 and11, missing the man as he dashed out of the muddy town square.

"You'd better run you little twerp!" Thalai shouted angrily. "I catch you again I'll cut off your man bits!"

Arlyn and Medusa huffed for breath. The triton gulped audibly before she looked to her friends, "Did we win? Is it over?"

"Well, we beat them," Medusa nodded, watching golden lights be absorbed into their bodies.

"Whoo. Need to sit down," Romeus groaned, "Someone check the loot. Maybe they left stuff."

"Got it," Thalai noded. She knew enough about games to know enemies dropped loot. She scooped up the three red cloaks, six shortswords, and three pouches which what sounded like coins inside.

As Thalai was piling up the spoils to carry, people began coming from between or out of the nearby buildings, looking shocked and surprised. Being under the thumb of the Redbrands for so long, they weren't used to seeing people who could actually stand up to them. Many felt some vindication and hope at the idea of getting rid of the gang once and for all, although others were just wary of retaliation.

One woman, an elf dressed in flowing robes of a religious woman, although in a different style and she was wearing a simple gold coin around her neck with the face side up. She seemed to have an air of youth around her that one wouldn't expect when they met elves and she showed it as she was jogging over to the group.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, looking to the group. "I saw the whole fight outside! I haven't seen anyone sand up to the Redbrands like that before. Does anyone need medical attention?"

"Ah, I must be dying," Romeus waxed poetic. "An angel has come for me."

Medusa rolled her eyes, "We could use some looking at. Especially him."

"Right this way then. I have some healing potions set aside for times like this," the elf nodded, guiding the group to a house set behind what looked like a shrine made of old stone. The center being a statue of a woman holding a gold coin with the face side up in her hands. The group came to the home and were let inside. It was a humble enough home, but warm and obviously owned by a kind person. The feeling caused the group to relax as they entered.

"Just sit down at the table and I'll get the potions," the elf offered, letting the adventurers do just that. After a few moments, the elf returned holding a vial of red fluid. "Here. Drink this and your wounds should be taken care of."

"Thank you," Romeus nodded, taking the potion and gulping it down. As he did so, a pair of d4 dice clattered onto the table. The dice read 5 which became 7. Romeus immediately gave a sigh of relief as any remaining glowing red spaces on his body began to fade, returning the halfling to full health. "Ahh, madam, you truly are an angel."

The elf woman waved him off with roll of her eyes, "Oh it's nothing. This is all part of the duties of my faith."

"Still, thank you just the same," Medusa smiled. Those thugs just seemed to come out of nowhere."

"Bah, they were always hanging around, looking for easy marks," the elf huffed. "Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Garaele, a sister in the service of Tymora, Goddess of good fortune."

"Charmed. Romeus Tanglewood, wandering halfling bard, at your service," the halfling smiled back. "So thugs are a problem here?"

"Redbrands," Garaele all but spat. "A collection of thugs and thieves who made Phandalin their home and who victimize everyone. We've been trying to do something about them, but it's always failed and now the Townmaster's afraid to even try getting rid of them in fear of retaliation. I heard that a band of adventurers that arrived in town yesterday is going to do something, but I don't have my hopes up."

"If the group that went after them are the ones we know, they'll get it done," Thalai reassured her. "They're friends of ours."

"Oh, you know them?" asked Graele, looking to the group. "Are they why you came to Phandalin?"

"We're adventurers looking for our first real adventure," Romeus explained. "You know, fighting evil, finding treasure, helping the people along the way, that kind of thing. Our friends said there might be a need for us here in Phandalin. So far it looks like they're right."

"Well, we do need it," Graele nodded. She eyed the group, looking them over. Her eyes lingered on Medusa longer than the rest before she seemed to steel her resolve, "If you're interested, I would need a band of adventurers who are willing to do a possibly dangerous task for me."

"We're listening," Aryn nodded.

"I've been trying to find information on a certain spellbook," Graele explained. "A spellbook which belonged to a particularly famous mage named Bowgentle. My friends who are likewise after it said there's a lead nearby. The old remains of the town of Conyberry. Just a bit off the trail there is a banshee who is known for her divination. We believe she knows where the book might be, if she doesn't already have it. I tried going, but she didn't appear to me and…well…it's a dangerous trek."

"Sounds fun!" Thalai grinned with a chuckle.

"We can undertake this task for you," Aryn nodded. "Is there anything else we need to know about this task?"

"Ah, I do have a gift to give in return for her knowledge," Graele nodded. Moving to a small jewelry box on a table, she retrieved a jeweled silver comb which looked expensive even from a distance..

"Ooooh," the three girls admired the item in question.

"Yes, I believe it shall suit the Banshee quite well," Graele nodded. "Her name is Agatha, and she is quite vain, so please, do your utmost to be respectful and even flatter her every way you can. It will keep her pleased and more likely to answer the question."

"All well and good," Medusa nodded. "But there is one last detail. I do not wish to sound greedy, but as adventurers, we do not do any task for free."

"Medusa!" Aryn hissed, scolding her.

"Don't worry, I understand. I'm a bit of an adventurer myself," Graele nodded with an understanding smile. "I do not have much coin, but if you can complete this task, I am willing to pay you with three Potions of Healing upon your return. Something I'm sure any adventurer would accept."

"Damn right," Romeus nodded with wide eyes.

"Generous of you," Medusa nodded. "Although I am curious, you wouldn't happen to know anyone else in town who might be in need of our services? Since we're heading in a certain direction anyway."

Graele hummed, tapping her chin, "You know, I heard Daran Edermath asking questions about Old Owl Well. It's south of Conyberry so if he has a job for you, you could do that as well. Are you that desperate for coin?"

"Well, coin is nice, but Phandalin seems to be a town with a lot of problems," Romeus was quick to answer. "We know there are some interesting sites and ruins all around the area so we just thought if anyone was in need for someone to explore those spots, we'd make it all in one big trip, you know?"

"Hmmm," Graele pondered, looking at the group again. Romeus was quick to take his d20 (out of the elf's sight) and roll it on the carpeted floor, silently praying for a positive result for his Persuasion Check. After a moment, and a flash of purple from under the table, Graele smiled, "If only more good people like you all were in the world, maybe Phandalin wouldn't be in the straits it is in."

"So there are people in need?" asked Aryn.

"Well, you'll have to speak with Daran to be sure, but I know that the Townmaster is trying to deal with a band of orcs up ay Wyvern Tor which isn't far from Old Owl Well either. He has a notice posted on the Townmaster Hall door about it. Why we elected him I will never know."

"All talk, no action?" Medusa scoffed.

"More like talk about anything except his inaction," Graele rolled her eyes. "Refuses to admit the Redbrands are a problem since he's so afraid they'll retaliate against him if he tries anything. He's one of the richest men in town with a lot to lose if they try to pay him back for displeasing them. If the people they kill and pillage haven't suffered? Guh!"

"Well, we can take the notice and handle that on our way then," Romeus nodded, getting up. "Well then friends, no time like the present! Let's head out! People to meet and monsters slay!"

"Now you're talking my language!" Thalai cheered.

(LINE BREAK)

check out Old Owl Well. He had been hearing rumors that undead had been sighted there by some of the local prospectors. As an adventurer in his heyday, Daran knew that undead didn't just crawl up out of the ground. Someone made them and put them there for a reason, usually nothing good. He appreciated the four adventurers volunteering for the job.

They also made a stop at the Townmaster's Hall where an add for the job of slaying orcs was indeed posted on a message board. Once they enquired within, they met the Townmaster, Harban Wester, a fat and pompous man who thought himself someone great when he was barely brave enough to wander on the streets to go home. When they talked about the orcs at Wyvern Tor, he was happy to tell them everything they needed to know, including how they could bring back proof of success. Once the Redbrands were mentioned by Aryn, he timidly brushed it off, claiming they were a mercenary guild, before all but pushing them out the door and asked them to be on their way.

Once they had their tasks lined up, the group checked the Lionshield Coster for supplies and to sell their spoils. The coins came to a total of 20 coppers, 10 silver, and 6 gold. The women weren't sure how to split it until Romeus told him the method his friends cobbled together to divvy treasure. The woman tending to the store laughed as she happily bought the swords from the dead Redbrands, although she only paid half the listing price for them. Romeus and Medusa were quick to claim the studded leather armor the Redbrands wore to boost their own defense and sold their old leather armor. In total, it netted them another 62 gold and 5 silver pieces.

They put their hard-won gold to use, buying supplies for themselves under Romeus' guidance. Medusa needed the most since out of all of them, she was the only one who didn't have camping gear. The others bought more waterskins, or more rations.

Once properly supplied, they headed back to the Triboar Trail which led out of town and headed east between the Neverwinter Wood and the Sword Mountains. Despite being town folks back home, all four of them had no trouble walking for eight hours. Instead, they found themselves enjoying the scenery, perhaps feeling a bit of magic in the air knowing they were in a fantasy world.

For Romeus, he felt like a kid in Disneyland, going on the adventures he only experienced on pen and paper. Medusa felt the same to a lesser extent. She had watched her brother play Dungeons & Dragons many times and saw how much fun he and his friends had with their travels and adventures. Being able to have a better picture of what her brother would see made her feel a little of the magic herself. For Thalai and Aryn, who never played before, it was like they had ended up in Lord of the Rings or another fatasy world popular in modern media.

With the day of their travel, they managed to reach the trail itself and camped down in an area between the two different areas as the sun was going down. Everyone sat around the campfire, shielded by some trees as they ate the rations, a whole pound of food, and drank some of the water they had been sipping over the trip.

"So…we killed three guys today," Medusa finally gave voice to the proverbial elephant in the room.

"Yeah…we did," Aryn nodded. "But I…I don't feel bad about it."

"Neither do I," Thalai agreed.

"To be honest, they were trying to kill us," Romeus shrugged. "Tends to take away any sympathy points in my book."

"Yeah, but…we never did that back home," Medusa shook her head. "I'm finding it hard to care here. Shouldn't we be all weeping wrecks or something? You don't just kill people and then feel nothing about it unless there's something wrong with you. Us…none of us seem to care."

"Maybe it's the characters we created," Thala suggested. "They wouldn't care. It's kill or be killed when you're out in the wild like this."

"But we're not our characters!" Medusa hissed. "We're us!"

"Rather, we're both," Romeus sighed. "And we have to make peace with that so long as we're here. At least it's easier to deal with since whatever we kill just vanishes like it does in games."

"That helps," Aryn agreed.

Romeus, the one who knew fantasy tropes best, figured they weren't freaking out was the same reason they weren't exhausted and were able to just walk for eight hours and just gossip. Their bodies and minds were tempered as adventurers. Even a heroic fantasy place like the Sword Coast wasn't peaceful. There was a lot of danger around and people had to be toughened up to deal with it. Granted, there wasn't a monster around every corner waiting to gut someone, but fact was that there were dangers like bandits, goblins, and other things who would fight to take advantage of people. Sometimes you did have to kill them and adventurers knew that.

"It does, but-!" A sound of something striking a rock sounded off before the group turned to see what it was. They couldn't as the dark limited their vision, but the flash of red told them all that they needed to know. Medusa lifted her handaxe, Romeus readied his rapier, Thalai her greataxe, and Aryn her trident in both hands as they expected trouble. Another red flash in the grass near the forest told them all they needed to know.

Trouble was coming.

A screech and a growl mixed together warned the travellers enough of what was to come. Coming out of the forest with a crash was a mass of gray fur and a snarling beak. At first glance it appeared to be a gray bear of some kind, but the head quickly proved otherwise, looking like a snarling owl's head with a jagged beak. It snarled before letting off a roar which was a mix between a bear's bellow and an owl's shriek.

"Oh crap! An owlbear!" Medusa hissed. "Everyone, hit it before it can reach us! Initiative! Initiative!"

"Why?" asked Aryn as the dice began to fly.

"At our level, owlbears are really dangerous!" Romeus replied, backing slightly as the dice flew. "Everyone with a distance ability use it! Thalai, Aryn, you two have the highest AC so you can hit it up close! It can do a lot of damage if you aren't careful so let's kill it and kill it fast!"

The dice landed and fortune favored the adventurers. The owlbear became the last in the initiative count which gave all of the adventurers an opportunity to deal heavy damage before they themselves would be put at risk.

"_Eldritch Blast!_" Medusa declared, pointing her staff at the approaching owlbear. Her serpentine energy fired, her d20 leading the way on a 10 turned 14. The beam crashed against the composite beast, making it bellow in pain as the magical attack did its work. A d10 appeared, landing on a 4, but any damage was better than no damage.

"_Sacred Flame!_" Aryn followed up, conjuring the water-like flams before throwing them at the snarling beast. The flame flew and a red d20 fell at the beast's feet as a Saving Throw was prepared. Totaling a 17, the beast stumbled back and the spell crashed harmlessly on the grass at its feet. The Triton cursed rather colorfully, "Shit! Fucking shit!"

"Damn dice!" Romeus agreed before he picked up his lute, "_Vicious Mockery!_" He unleashed his sylvan song of utter repulsiveness aimed at the owlbear. Despite not being able to communicate, the beast did manage to understand the music and snarled. A d20 landed at its feet at a one, turning black before the owlbear itself yelped and shook its head in pain. Romeus grinned as his d4 showed only a 2, but the secondary effects also took effect. "All yours Thalai!"

The goliath nodded and lifted her axe before bellowing her next move, "_RAGE!_" Thalai's word descended into a deep roar before she rampaged across the distance between herself and the owlbear, exactly 30 feet. Coming up to the growling owlbear, she roared as she unleashed her greataxe attack. Her d20 was on her side, landing on a 13 turning to an 18 thanks to her attack bonus. Thalai's axe came down, smashing into the owlbear's side as it tried to move, making the beast screech in pain as red light erupted from its side. Her d12 showed the damage, totaling 11 with all of her modifiers.

The owlbear roared and lunged with its sharpened beak at at Thalai. Two d20 flew, indicating the Vicious Mockery was still in effect. They rolled a 14 and a 10, making both dice fade as the lower choice was selected. Thalai managed to avoid the strike, grinning savagely.

The owlbear was not deterred as it swiped with its paw in an attempt to get at Thalai regardless of the first failure. As it moved, another d20 flew, this time not bothered by Romeus' spell. Landing on a total of 5, Thalai managed to block and turn away the blow with her axe.

"Ha! I thought owlbears were tough!" the raging goliath laughed.

"Don't get cocky!" Medusa snapped, running to the side so she would have a clear shot at the owlbear, "Aryn, cover Romeus on the other side of that thing and bring down some hell! _Eldritch Blast!_"

Her d20 flew again, landing on a 19. That was more than enough as the serpentine beam of energy fired through the air and crashed into the owlbear's side, making it bellow. A d10 followed, showing a 6 which further wounded the creature as green eldritch power sparked from its wound.

"Sacred Flame!" Aryn called, trying her attack again. The blue fire flew and the d20 saving throw for the beast rolled again. A 5 was not able to save it as the divine tempest flames crashed into it, making it roar in pain as a d8 reported it took 6 damage of its own.

"Yes!" Aryn cheered, hopping on the spot in delight.

"Good show! Now for some support!" Romeus grinned. "Another _Vicious Mockery!_" The song sounded off and the owlbear snarled as it began taking effect. The d20 for a Wisdom Saving Throw followed, landing on an 18 which had the owlbear shake off the attack.

"Uh-oh," Romeus gulped.

"HURRAAAAH!" Thalai roared, going in for another attack with her axe. Her d20 rolled a 15, allowing her to land her second strike in her rage, eliciting another bellow from the furious owlbear. Red light shone from its shoulder as the goliath landed the attack on its body. The resulting d12 landed on a six, but thanks to Thalai's stats along with the boost from her rage, it boosted up to an 11.

The owlbear bellowed in fury at being attacked, not able to even think of running away as its anger at being challenged and denied a meal pushed it to fight. Standing up on its hind legs, it swung heavily at Thalai with its claws. The d20 flew, landed on a 1 which caused the bear to stumble as it lost balance, allowing Thalai to easily escape the attack.

"Ha ha! You missed!" Thalai mocked savagely.

The owlbear shrieked before snapping at her with its beak, another d20 rolling as it did so. This time it landed on a 10, allowing Thalai to again dodge the strike despite her enraged state.

"Just keep it there!" Medusa called, lifting her staff again. "_Eldritch Blast!_" Her d20 was again on her side, landing on a 15 which had the beam crash into the owlbear again with another shriek, causing the d10 to deal it a whopping 10 damage, making the bear stumble as its body was covered in glowing red marks.

"I think we've almost got it!" Aryn called out. "_Sacred Flame!_"

"_Vicious Mockery!_" Romeus added in.

Two d20's flew from the magical attacks as Saving Throws for the owlbear. The first failed, landing on a 4 which had the blue tempestuous fire crash into it, dealing 6 damage according to the dice. For the second Saving Throw, it rolled a 15, saving it from Romeus' mental attack.

"Ha! Killing time!" Thalai grinned savagely before she made her attack. Another d20 flew, showing a 15 before her axe came down and smashed into the owlbear's head. The beast shrieked as its head was caved open in a flash of red before it fell over, completely dead.

"Hooooooly crap!" Romeus sighed, dropping to his butt in shock. "That could have turned out sooo bad!"

"How bad?" Aryn asked, almost incredulously. "I mean, taking on a bear is stupid but you two made it sound pretty bad."

Romeus scratched his head, "Um, okay, let me think. The _Dungeon Master's Guide_ has some guidelines about encounters. Like, there is an XP threshold for a character's character level. We're all at level 1, so our XP threshold for our party is 100 Xp for an easy encounter all the way up to 200 for a deadly one."

"Owlbears are worth 700 XP," Medusa added. "It could have taken us all out if we didn't play it smart."

"Woah…" Aryn paled.

"Yeah," Romeus nodded, standing up. "It's why I stuck back while I suggested you and Thalai take it up close. Thalai's Rage ability would have reduced the damage it could do and you have one of the highest AC out of all of us thanks to your armor. Although I'm glad you went long range with me too."

"And you used the Vicious Mockery to give it disadvantage on attacks," Medusa nodded. "Less likely to hit us that way." Romeus nodded. Bards were handy about instilling status effects or boosting the abilities of their allies.

"Um…guys?" Thalai suddenly spoke up. "The monster's body didn't disappear like those other guys did."

The group turned to see what the goliath was talking about and spotted the body of the owlbear. Sure enough, it was still there, but was blinking rapidly. ROmeus frowned for a moment as he considered what he was looking at.

"Umm…I've got nothing," Medusa shook her head. "Romeus? Do you have an idea?"

"Well…maybe," Romeus rubbed his chin before he snapped his fingers. "Oh! 5th Edition D&D doesn't have much excitement when it comes to crafting so we found a harvesting among other things which has rules of how to harvest parts of creatures, for crafting or just some extra income. I bet we can do that with the owlbear."

"Well, which parts do we need?" asked Aryn, coming up to the flashing corpse.

"Ah…that I don't know," Romeus shook his head. "I didn't read the manual too much myself since I don't DM much. I remember we've got to appraise the thing though. Um, maybe we can try that."

"Better make it fast," Aryn commented. "I think the blinking is getting faster."

"Okay, okay," Romeus came up to the body. "Um, appraisal?" Despite not knowing what to do, his dice reacted just the same. His d20 rolled, landing next to the owlbear's body. It came to a rest on an 11, but it did not change. Immediately he realized it required an Intelligence check augmented by his Nature skill, both had a +0 as a modifier. Still, the dice flashed and knowledge filled his mind.

"Okay, got it!" Romeus nodded. "The owlbear's feathers, liver, and it's neck are all things we can harvest."

"Ew," Aryn grimaced.

"Maybe, but it's valuable. So let's roll!" Romeus declared, rolling his next check. His dice rolled once again, this time telling Romeus it was his Dexterity being rolled and augmented with his Nature proficiency. The dice rolled, showing a 16 turned 18. The reaction was immediate as the owlbear's body flashed and exploded into motes of light.

Left behind in the lights were a pair of items. One was a large leather bag which was open, showing numerous grey/white feathers. The other was a jar that was could to the touch and inside was a meaty organ, clearly the creature's liver.

"Ewwww," Aryn grimaced.

"And there's our harvest loot," Romeus grinned. "So, who wants to carry it?"

"I will. I'm strong enough to be the pack horse," Thalai offered. Taking both items and stuffing them into her pack. "Can we use it for anything?"

"Meh, the feathers are perfect for bedding and the liver is good for medicine," Romeus shrugged as he stood up. "It's more for getting gold than for anything we can make weapons from."

"Well, if we're done carving up kills, can we get some rest?" asked Medusa. "I'm ready to crash now."

"Sure," Romeus nodded. "I'll take first watch if you all want to rest first."

(LINE BREAK)

The group had their long rest, able to recover all of their various abilities, what few they had to spend at Level 1. Once they woke up, they packed up their gear and moved on, heading down the Triboar Trail again. They passed through the scenery, despite it feeling quite ordinary, they still felt the magic and anticipation of living the game which had so much history behind it.

"So, what do you think this whole adventure is about?" asked Medusa. "I mean, did you read about it?"

"A bit, but just skipped ahead to some of the later stuff so I don't know anything," Romeus shook his head. "If we can hook up with the others back in Phandalin once we finish up around here, we might be able to figure out what is going on."

"Yeah, so why didn't we wait?" asked Aryn.

"Because they're already hip deep in this, levelling up and getting stronger," Romeus answered. "If we want to help them and not sit on our butts, we have to do the same so we can all get out of here."

"Makes sense to me," Thalai nodded.

Their travels took them almost twenty five miles, a common distance for overland travel in the game Romeus would supply. They were surprised that none of them were tired, or at least tired as suburbia kids would be for walking so long. As the sun was setting into the darkness again, they came to a stop next to a large hill. In the distance, seen with perhaps the last bits of sunlight, were ruins of homes and buildings.

"Conyberry?" asked Medusa.

"Should be," Romeus nodded. "It's the only former settlement around. Raided by barbarians and left to crumble. It's about eight miles away from here so if you guys want to push it, we can bed down there and head to Agatha's tomorrow."

"Um, should we risk that?" asked Aryn. "I remember things like exhaustion and stuff being a factor. I don't want to get jumped by something in the night and we're all too tired to fight."

"Good point," Romeus agreed. "Okay, let's set down for camp and head out tomorrow like usual."

Camp was set up quickly and the group dug hungrily into their rations again. Romeus silently thanked himself for remembering that his Entertainer Pack didn't have as many rations as the others did. A fact he had to learn the hard way when he first played a Bard and went on an extended trek.

"Think we'll get attacked again?" asked Aryn.

"Possibly, if the DM or whoever gave us this dice power rolls against us," Romeus nodded.

"Bring it," Thalai grinned. Her words alone were suddenly followed by a red flash in the nearby grass, making the group stop and look around.

"Oh you had to say it," Aryn groaned.

Clanking sounds could be heard coming from the hill as five armored figures came from the darkness. They were human-sized, sporting red-orange skin with long black hair. All of them were wearing chainmail and were armed with swords and shields. They obviously weren't human, bearing some resemblance to goblins, only larger and better-armed.

The leader of the group stopped his band and looked at the group of four who were already gripping their weapons. He reached to his side and pulled up some papers and glanced at them for a moment. After he had done such, he stuffed the papers back and drew his sword, "Attack!"

"Oh come on!" Medusa growled as she lifted her handaxe and staff.

"Just fight! Roll initiative!" Thalai gripped her axe. The dice flew for all the combatants and the initiative was set, although Aryn cursed again when she saw that she was going last this time.

"_Vicious Mockery!_" Rowan called, focusing his attention on one of the creatures which were armed with a sword and a shield. A red d20 flew from the creature he chose, but only landed on a seven, prompting the monster to cry out and grip his head in pain as the sylvan song mocking him was heard.

"_Eldritch Blast!_" Medusa called, pointing her staff at the leader of the group, seeing he wasn't wearing a shield. Her die casta 17, letting the serpentine blast cut through the air before it crashed into the leader, making him grunt as he took 6 damage.

"_RAGE!_" Thalai roared before she took off running for another of the armored creatures. Picking her target, she ran at one which neither of her friends had targeted yet and came at it like a charging beast. It snarled and lifted its sword and shield, ready for an assault.

Her roll landed at her feet while she ran, showing a 14 which boosted to a 19, allowing her axe to come down hard on the creature as it tried to defend. The axe hit hard, sliding over the shield, forcing the monster's arm down where the blade chopped into its shoulder, making it bellow in pain and take 8 damage.

"Kill them! Kill them for Maglubieyt!" the leader roared, prompting his men to charge at the group.

The leader ran right for Medusa, coming in with a slash of its sword. A red d20 flew again, but Medusa didn't dare look. The blade being swung at her captured her attention. She ducked back, realizing the dice must have been in her favor as the blade missed, making the wielder snarl in frustration.

"Die you halfling bastard!" another hobgoblin snarled as it lunged for Romeus.

"Don't think so hobgoblin!" the halfling frowned, eyeing the red d20 that flew as the monster got closer. The die rolled a 1 and the hobgoblin stumbled under a particularly thick clump of grass, allowing Romeus to dance out of his way as he drew his rapier.

Two hobgoblins went for Thalai, seeing her as the greater threat. The first rolled for an attack, but being the one Romeus used his magic on, it was disoriented from the attack and had a disadvantage. Two dice rolled, a 3 and an 18, but both faded as the 3 was chosen. Thalai saw the attack coming and dipped back to avoid it.

The wounded hobgoblin saw his chance and tried to attack. His attack was true and cut Thalai across the torso, dealing a total of 4 damage as the red d8 was revealed. As Thalai was in a rage though, she had a resistance to slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage. The hobgoblin's sword was a slashing damage type, meaning she only took 2 damage.

The last hobgoblin stormed towards Aryn, yelling something in the goblin tongue as he swung his sword with both hands. The d20 coming from the attack landed on a 2, allowing Aryn to dodge the blow with ease before she gripped her trident in two hands and lunged.

"HYAH!" she roared, launching her own attack along with her d20. Her attack was more successful, landing a 17 before her trident skewered the abdomen of the hobgoblin, making it screech in pain. The resulting d8 from the attack (since the trident held the versatile feature and she used both hands) took 4 hit points from the hobgoblin.

"Take this!" Romeus declared, lunging with his rapier at his target. Sadly, luck was not on his side as his attack was blocked by the hobgoblin's shield, eliciting a sneer from the creature. "Uh-oh."

"Hrah!" Medusa roared, lashing out with her handaxe at her own opponent. The roll was good, landing on a 15, but her attack bonus pushed it up to a 19, letting her bury her handaxe in the hobgoblin's neck with enough force that it nearly decapitated the beast in a flash of red. The creature's stunned gaze was almost amusing before it vanished in a haze of green motes of light.

Medusa panted for breath, "There. Wasn't such a chore."

"RAAAAAGH!" Thalai continued to rage as she swung at her wounded hobgoblin a second time. Her die landed on a 13, which was just enough for her to land the hit with her attack bonus pushing it to 18. Her axe came crashing down on the hobgoblin's head, splitting it open and making the monster explode into yellow motes of light, signalling its death. Once it was gone, she turned to the hobgoblin that tried to get her from the side with a snarl, "You're next!"

The hobgoblin, to its credit, showed no fear as it moved to attack. It stabbed with its sword for an attack. The d20 rolled, but showed no favor as it only landed on a 5, letting Thalai parry the blow with her axe.

Romeus' opponent snarled with a slash, thinking he was onto an easy victory. His sword cut through the air, but the dice prevented him from cutting into the halflinf who ducked under the blow.

The last hobgoblin wasn't deterred from its own goal despite the death of its comrades. Wilding it's sword, it lunged for Aron once again. The Triton prepared for the attack, watching for the red d20. She spotted the dice fly as the hobgoblin charged at her. The dice only totalled a 5, letting Aryn parry the attack.

As she pushed the hobgoblin back, Aryn gripped her trident and lunged for her opponent. Her blue d20 rolled onto the grass, revealing a 16. Her attack bonus had it turn into an 18, which allowed her to penetrate the hobgoblin's guard and pierce its chest with her weapon.

"Yargh!" The monster gurgled in pain, unable to scream, or perhaps did not wish to. A d8 rolled when the trident struck, landing on a 7 to turn into an 8. The hobgoblin gurgled one last time before collapsing on the trident, shattering into blue motes of light.

"Whew," Aryn sighed in relief.

Romeo's steeled himself with his rapier and lunged for his hobgoblin opponent again. His purple d20 flew again, landing in the grass. This time the dice landed on a natural 20, flashing brightly and covering the blade in a purple light as the halfling made his lunge. Two d8 flew from the strike, landing on an 8 and a 6. The rapier flashed and pierced the hobgoblin straight through its chest. The monster gasped, gurgled as blood came to its throat, then expired, vanishing into purple light.

"Lady Luck still likes me," Romeus sighed in relief.

Medusa looked around the battlefield and saw that only one hobgoblin was left. It was facing Thalia and focusing on her entirely. Seeing an opportunity, Medusa lifted her staff and took aim at the hobgoblin, "_Eldritch Blast!_"

The attack began, then to Medusa's surprise, two d20 dice flew from her attack. Later she would realize it was because she had flanked the hobgoblin and had an advantage because it could not see her. The dice landed, one totalling 14 and the other a 19, making a flash of green as the attack hit home. The serpentine blast struck the hobgoblin in the back, making it cry out as a d10 announced he took 9 damage. The hobgoblin screamed as the attack seared into his flesh and he exploded into purple and green light.

Thalia huffed as she lowered her axe, "I had that one."

"Sorry, but I had the shot," Medusa shrugged.

The argument may have gone on, but it was cut short as all four adventurers found themselves engulfed in a shining aura of their respective colors. Their bodies felt empowered, like they had reached a new level of strength they didn't know they had. It took a moment, but they soon realized that they had all leveled up.

Thalia watched as words appeared in front of her , declaring her new abilities.

_By sinking into your Rage, you have harnessed the ability of the Reckless Attack. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon rolls using Strength during your turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage on your next turn._

_Your experience in battle has also granted you a Danger Sense, an uncanny sense of when things nearby are not as they should be, giving you the edge when dodging away from danger. You now have advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you cannot be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated._

Romeus saw similar writing, although his was accompanied by faint victorious music in his wine purple light.

_Your experiences in the world have served you well, making you a Jack Of All Trades. You may now add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any skill check you make that you are not already including your proficiency bonus in._

_With your experimentation in magic and music, you have created a Song of Rest to revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any fried sly creatures who can hear your song regain hit points at the end of a short rest by spending one or more hit dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points._

_With your repeated use of magic, your magic power has increased. You now have 3 First Level spell slots and may now know five appropriate spells. Choose them now._

Romeus blinked as what looked like sheet music came out of his pack and began listing Bard spells he could learn at his level. He already knew _Charm Person, Healing Word, Detect Magic_, And _Thunderwave_. He didn't feel like giving those up, so he looked to what he could learn for his last spell.

"Need a little more oomph in my arsenal," Romeus muttered, looking over the list. Seeing one in particular, he grinned, "But _Dissonant Whispers_ seems to work for me."

The description of the spell flashed and Romeus could suddenly feel the knowledge being inscribed into his mind. The thought of the spell made him grin as he knew he now had a bit of a trump card in his hands for an emergency.

Aryn felt like she was in a whirlpool with the blue energy swirling around her. It was a beautiful sight to see and she almost missed the writing appearing on the air in front of her.

_Your dedication to Eadro has reached him and he has decided to reward you with greater favor. You now hold the ability to Channel Divinity from your god. channeling your god's divinity allows you to create an effect which can affect many things. You may only use this once before needing to rest. You can channel Eadro in one of two ways._

_Turn Undead: as an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 ft must make a Wisdom saving throw. if the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage. A turned creature must spend its turned trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 ft of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can only use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there is nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action._

_Destructive Wrath: when you channel Eadro's divinity after taking damage, you can unleash the power of the storm on the one who attacked you. When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling._

_With the greater of your deity, you now have three First Level spell slots._

Aryn gasped as she read the description, realizing she now had a very potent combination to use on an enemy that would manage to strike her.

Medusa's green aura made her feel like she was wrapped in the coils of a large serpent. For some reason, she could guess that her patron The Serpent Empress noticed her sudden growth and was now rewarding her appropriately. The words appearing before her just confirmed it.

_You have proven to be more than just a simple hedge warlock looking for a handout. You show potential and The Serpent Empress wishes to see it develop. She has granted you access to two Eldritch Invocations._

_Eldritch Invocations are fragments of forbidden knowledge that can imbue you with magic power directly from your patron. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may choose to replace any in actions you know with others you could learn at that level._

_Choose now._

A book which looked like it was made from snake skin appeared and opened in front of Medusa's gaze. Words on the pages were written in purple ink, detailing the Eldritch Invocations she could learn at her level.

'_Good thing I played a warlock before,_' she thought to herself. "Armor of Shadows and Agonizing Blast."

Armor of Shadows would allow Medusa to cast the spell _Mage Armor_ without using up one of her precious few Spell Slots. Agonizing Blast would enhance her Eldritch Blast, letting her add her Charisma modifier to it for extra damage.

A hiss echoed in Medusa's ears as her chosen Invocations glowed before the book snapped shut and vanished. After it had done so, more words appeared in the air.

_With the greater favor of your patron, you now have two spell slots and now three First Level spells. _

Medusa liked what she already had with her spells, but she did pick out the Witch Bolt spell which was just too useful to not take at her current level.

As the adventurers made their selections, the aura died down and they got their senses back. The dice around them stopped spinning, presenting a dice and a number to each of them. A d12 and a 7 was presented to Thalai, while a d8 and 5 for Romeus, Aryn, and Medusa.

"What are these for?" Asked Aryn, peering at the dice.

"When we increase in levels, we roll to add our Constitution and the result together to increase our maximum hit points," Romeus explained. "The numbers are a standard number we can add, or we can try our luck to get something higher."

"I like those odds," Thalai grinned, poking her d12 and causing it to spin. It finally landed on an 8, making the goliath grin, although Romeus had to lament about how lucky she was. He, Aryn, and Medusa merely took the standard number.

"That's good," Thalia nodded as the dice finally vanished. "So, let's see the loot we got and get some rest."

They did go through the loot, finding swords, shields, 14 silver pieces and a total of 76 copper pieces which they would split among themselves. Medusa was picking through what the leader of the group had left and found the papers he had been looking at before declaring the attack.

"What on…?" Medusa frowned. "Guys, I think I found something."

"What is it?" Asked Romeus, he and the group coming to their friend.

"Wanted posters," Medusa answered, revealing the apes. There were eight in total and each one seemed to have a crude drawing on them. Four were of people the group didn't know, but the other four were recognizable as themselves, albeit poorly drawn. Each one had the same message under it '_gold pieces for this one._' The values for the first four were more expensive, but the ones of the group were cheaper and insisted on them being brought in alive. All of them were signed with a black spider marking.

"What?" Thalia blinked. "Who would make wanted posters of us?"

"I think we just got our first hint at the guy pulling the strings here," Romeus rubbed his chin. "Probably the same guy who is going to be connected to the Redbrands back in Phandalin."

"But how did he know what we looked like?" Asked Aryn. "We just arrived in Phandalin two days ago."

"Spies, how else?" Medusa shook her head. "Whoever this spider guy is, we will probably be seeing more of him in the future as well as his thugs. We'd better be careful."

Everyone agreed with the sentiment and the group set up their watch for the night. Aryn went first so she could add to her list of spells, but other than a few animal calls, the night went smoothly for the group.

(LINE BREAK)

With the morning the group collected their camp and arrived at Conyberry. The town was an utter ruin with only the Neverwinter Wood offering any kind of pleasant scenery. Even then it felt rather grim to the group. Knowing a banshee was nearby perhaps had something to do with that, although knowing the history of the place certainly didn't help.

Recalling Sister Graele's directions, the turned northeast and entered the forest on the path towards the banshee which supposedly lived there.

"So why would a banshee know about books and things like that?" Asked Aryn.

"Because they used to be elves, but were cursed because of their vanity into undead monsters," Medusa explained. "It doesn't seem to stop them from collecting things like knowledge or belongings."

"Will we have to fight?" asked Thalia.

"Only if we're stupid," Romeus answered. "Banshees are sentient, not monsters so if we give her the comb we should be able to get on her good side enough to ask about the book."

As they travelled, the forest grew darker and colder the deeper they went. Heavy vines and thick moss were seen beginning to cover everything, making the forest appear unwelcoming. As they walked around a bend, they spied a screen made of warped tree branches standing close together, woven into a dome like shelter with a low doorway leading inside.

"I...think we found it," Thalia gulped.

No one argued with the goliath's statement. Steeling themselves and pointedly not drawing their weapons, the group gently crossed the threshold of the home. Inside was surprisingly sophisticated, hosting old eleven craft furniture including a couch, shelves, chests, and even a table. All of it was clearly elegant and beautiful despite the grim appearance of the forest.

They didn't have very long to admire the place as a chill crawled down their spines and dread filled them. A pale light began to shine in the middle of the room which grew and began taking shape. It grew to the size of an adult woman before features could be seen. She appeared to be an elf, perhaps beautiful at one point, but the hate twisted her features and robbed her of it. Her dress and hair seemed to flutter ethereally despite there being no wind around the group.

"Foolish mortals," the banshee snarled. "What are you doing here? Don't you know it is death to seek me out?"

The group gulped before the three women abruptly pushed Romeus forward, all of them knowing he had one of the highest charisma scores. The Satyr gulped, but remembered why they were seeking the banshee out in the first place.

"A-ah, Lady Agatha, we have come all this way to seek you out for your wisdom," Romeus gulped. "We were told of your wisdom, surpassed only by your beauty. We hoped you would hear us in your benevolence suitable only for a lady so fair."

"Hmmm," the banshee frowned. She hadn't attacked or otherwise cursed them, which Romeus considered a good starting point. "And why should I hear you?"

Romeus gulped, but kept his course, "Naturally we wouldn't dream of asking for anything without payment," he reached into his pack and produced the silver comb Sister Graeme had passed to them. "So we offer this gift, a most beautiful comb suitable only for the most beautiful women."

"Ahhhh," Agatha smiled in cold amusement, greedily taking the comb and admiring it. When she had a moment with it, she looked to the group almost as an afterthought, "Very well. Ask _one_ question, and I will answer."

"Thank you," Romeus nodded. "We seek a spell book which used to belong to a mage named Bowgentle. We were told you know of it, or even owned it at one point."

Agatha frowned slightly in thought, but then nodded, "I know of the spellbook you speak about. I did own it, once. I traded it to a necromancer named Tsernoth from the city of Iriaebor. What he did with it, I do not know or care." She sniffed as her form began to fade, comb and all. "I have answered your question, now leave before my generosity wanes."

The group bowed their heads and beat a hasty retreat from the banshee's home before she had faded entirely. Back on the path for Conyberry, they were stopped as white dice appeared right in front of them. They were d10s which rolled to show 2-0-0 before they vanished, leaving white light to wash over the four.

"What was that about?" Asked Aryn, confused.

"I think we gained experience from completing the task," Medusa answered. "Although if we want the reward, we have to go back to Phandalin first."

"So we all got...50 XP just by completing this job. Cool," Thalia smiles. "How much do we need to get to Level 3?"

"900 points," Romeus answered as they began walking again. "We got to Level 2 when we got to 300 points."

"So, do we go for Old Owl Well now or do we wait?" Asked Aryn.

"Well, we could," Medusa pondered. "It might be close to nightfall by the time we get there though."

"Should we risk that with undead running around?" asked Thalai.

"I could just use Turn Undead If things get hairy," Aryn offered with a helpful smile.

"That might come in handy," Romeus nodded. "Well, if enough of us want to wait, we can."

"I say we're ready for it," Medusa shrugged. "How hard could they be?"

"And you just jinxed us," Romeus shook his head. "Okay, let's keep going then."

The group returned to Conyberry to beat their bearings before they set off again into the hills south of the ruins. They moved through the lower hills before the inclines became steeper. As they crest a low ridge, they spied the crumbling ruins of what used to be a watchtower, there were only a few crumbling walls and a stump of what used to be the tower.

Old Owl Well got its name from the old well in the courtyard in front of the ruined tower. It still had clear water and the prospectors passing through would use it to refill their waterskins. However, the four adventurers could see that someone had taken up residence at the ruins, if the bright red tent was any indication.

"What now?" Asked Medusa.

Romeus rubbed his beard for a moment, "Well, may as well poke around and see if this guy already cleared out the undead, or is in charge of them. Let's try to keep it stealthy but don't attack first in case we have friendlies."

The four began to cautiously approach the ruins, keeping an eye out for threats which might be hiding in the failing light. As they drew closer to the ruined walls, they began to smell a stench of rot and decay, most of it wafting from the direction of the tower. Aryn all but gagged at the scent while the others winced and tried not to cough under the stench. Pushing through the smell, they entered the courtyard and cautiously moved for the tent but kept an eye on the direction of the tower.

Aryn kept her eyes on the tower first and foremost, since she had the ability to turn the undead around. Her diligence was soon proven to be wise as she saw movement from within the tower. After another moment, the shambling forms of zombies dressed in rags emerged from the darkness, the stench of death hanging over them.

"Zombies!" She shouted, pointing to the tower. "Initiative!"

The dice flew as the zombies shambled. When they landed, the group felt some relief when they saw the pattern was set with Medusa in the lead, then Aryn, Thalia, then Romeus, And finally the zombies.

Medusa lifted her staff, the words for her Eldritch Blast on her lips when there was movement in the tent. The front flap opened before a bald and pale man with a black mark on his forehead emerged. He was dressed in blood red robes and wielded a quarterstaff in his hands.

"What is the meaning of all this?" The man demanded angrily of the group.

"Get out of the way sir!" Aryn shouted at him, gesturing to the zombies. "There are zombies coming!"

The man scoffed, "I know there are zombies! I put them there! Now explain yourselves!" He made a quick gesture of his hand and the zombies stopped their approach.

The group blinked and looked to each other in confusion. After a moment of the zombies remaining still and the man looking at them expectantly, they released their stances, although not their weapons. Romeus again took the lead in order to do the negotiations.

"A number of prospectors were run off by undead and we were asked to look into the situation," he explained. "So these zombies are your doing?"

The wizard sighed in annoyance, like a noble having to deal with ruffians, "Indeed. I raised them from a group of bandits which tried to rob me and I am using them as bodyguards while I am examining these ruins. They are ordered to run off anyone who approaches my tent or my workplace in the tower. I have complete control so the diggers can be rest assured of their safety. Is that enough for you?"

As the pair talked, Medusa eyed the wizard with suspicion. A necromancer the man obviously was, which was bad enough. Somehow, the fact he wore such fine red robes even in an abandoned tower just said there had to be something more. As Romeus was talking, Medusa drew out her d20 and let it roll as she whispered "History Check."

The green die dropped to the ground, revealing a 9 which turned to a 12. The die flashed and vanished, leaving new information to rise to Medusa's mind. The garb of the wizard immediately became obvious as someone who came from Thay, magocratic nation ruled by a lich of all things and magic users were the social elite. Seeing a red wizard outside of Thay wasn't unusual, considering they were scholars. However, their following of a lich and their evil ways made seeing one rare.

"He's a Red Wizard from Thay," Medusa whispered to Aryn and Thalai. "A necromancer from there is usually not a good thing."

Aryn glanced to the man as Romeus tried to soothe his temper and perhaps try to figure out if the guy was there for just research or for worse things, "What should we do? We can't just attack him for that, can we?"

Medusa shook her head, "No, the Red Wizards, although no one likes them, are considered political figures so we can't just attack them unless we see them doing something wrong. This guy just raised some bandits from the dead and scared some people. Not much we can do about it unless he tries to kill us."

As his friends talked, Romeus sighed and rubbed his temple. He had tried asking the Red Wizard, who introduced himself as Kost, what he was doing at Old Owl Well. However, the wizard was proving tight-lipped about his reasons and refused to even hint at a reason. Seeing he was getting nowhere, Romeus just decided to tackle the issue with the zombies.

"So, barring someone attacking you or attempting to steal your belongings or discoveries, those zombies will stay right where they are until you're done here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Of course. Who do you think you are talking to?" Kost snorted imperiously. "I have full control over these creatures. They will not move one _inch_ without my say so!"

"Okay, okay," Romeus nodded, lifting his hands to show he meant to offense. "I'm a Bard, not a wizard. My magic is completely different from yours so I can't always tell an expert on sight." Kost huffed but didn't retort. Licking his lips, Romeus decided to ask another question. Removing one of the posters he and his friends took from the hobgoblins, he lifted it up and pointed to the black spider marking, "I don't suppose you know about someone who seems to have the resources to organize hobgoblins who uses a mark like this, do you?"

"Hm?" Kost frowned, peering at the mark. "Hm, yes. Yes, I do. Although, I am not one to part with information out of the goodness of my heart. One does not survive in Thay long with such soft notions."

Romeus slumped slightly, "Okay, so what is this information worth to you?"

"Well, there are some things I need some plebeians to do for me and you all seem perfect for the job," Kost smirked, making Romeus frown. "Nearby the dilapidated town from here is a banshee who is supposedly skilled in the arts of divination. I wish to ask her for information, but since I have nothing to give her, I dare not risk her anger."

"Ah," Romeus nodded, wincing, "Well, sorry to say this, but we came from seeing her. I doubt she would be receptive to us coming back a second time."

"Pity," Kost sighed. "No matter. A pair of orcs scouted out my camp not long ago and knowing their brutish kind, they are already plotting to raid it once they get the motivation. I recognize them as a group from Wyvern Tor. I hardly need that distraction during my excavation. Deal with them, and I shall give you the information you seek."

Romeus nodded, although inwardly he was smirking. Since the group was already heading to deal with the orcs for the Townmaster so it would be like hitting two birds with one stone. Schooling his features, Romeus gave a resigned sigh, "Well, we're in need for it and you're the only person around. We'll take care of the orcs for you then."

"Good. Come back when you finish. I will share what I know then," Kost nodded, waving Romeus off like a servant.

As Kost turned around to head back to his tent, Romeus gave him the finger before turning back to his friends. Approaching them, he began explaining, "Well, there is nothing we can do about him since he isn't doing anything wrong besides being a dick. He has information on our black spider friend, only if we take care of the orcs at Wyvern Tor."

"Handy, since we were already heading there," Thalai nodded. "So which way?"

"South from here if the directions were right," Medusa answered, recalling the map. "But with the time it took to get this far, we're risking trouble if we travel at night. I think things like orcs, goblins and their ilk can see in the dark. We attack at night, it's like shooting ourselves in the foot."

"Good point," Romeus nodded. "So we'll travel about between here and Wyvern Tor and set up camp. Once it's daylight again, we'll look for the band of orcs and bring them down."

The plan was agreed on and the group began heading away from Old Owl Well and it's temporary residents. They traveled around five miles before they reached the outside of a number of crags which rose up into the air. They had been told the story of the place called Wyvern Tor. It used to be a nesting ground of wyverns until a band of adventurers took up arms and drove them away. The wyverns never returned, but a number of other things would take up residence in the tunnels now and then.

The group picked their campsite and set up their spaces to sleep. With Romeus taking the first watch, the others settled down into an uneasy sleep, waiting for their own turn to keep watch. To their luck, they didn't notice the red d20 roll, landing on a plain 12 before the night was through. The die rest innocent on the rocky ground, but then faded, leaving the band of four to their own devices.

They slept peacefully through the night.

Dawn came and the adventurers packed up and began walking up the trail to Wyvern Tor itself. The rocky hills became more jagged as they began to look around the area for signs of the orcs. They began searching for signs, but they quickly found that the entire area looked much the same.

"How can we find these guys? Shouldn't we do some kind of check?" asked Medusa.

"We'll have to try," Romeus sighed, looking around. Digging through his pouch, he found her d20, "Okay, let's try a Perception Check. That way we can try to see a sign of something." He tossed the die, letting it roll on the rocks before it landed on an 18, turning to a 19. The die flashed and Romeus looked around for a sign of the orcs.

His eyes scanned the surroundings before he noticed a faint wisp of white smoke rising into the air. With a number of white clouds in the sky, it was hard to see it. However, the use of the Perception Check allowed him to notice it.

"Over there," he pointed in the direction of the smoke. "We might have a winner."

"Then let's get cracking skulls!" Thalai grinned, lifting her axe.

Shaking her head at her friend's enthusiasm, the group trekked across the rocky hill before coming in closer to the source of the smoke. They climbed over a rugged ridge before crouching low. There, fifty yards away, was a cave mouth at the bottom of a ravine. Twenty yards from that opening and istting bored as he poked smoldering coals, producing the white smoke, was a single orc.

"Bingo," Medusa nodded. "Okay, so if we let that guy warn the others, we're probably going to be hit hard by the lot of them."

"And none of us are a rogue either," Romeus bit his lip.

Aryn frowned, but then her eyes lit up, "Oh, I know! I know the _Fog Cloud_ spell. I can cast it and then we can come into the fog and nail him hard before he can do anything."

Romeus nodded, "That would give us an advantage on Stealth Checks. It's the best idea I've got."

"I say we can do it," Thalai agreed.

"Okay then," Aryn nodded. The group shuffled closer to where the orc was sitting, poking the cinders while it kept glancing at its surroundings. Once they were as close as they dared, Aryn pointed her holy symbol to near the orc and let out a whisper, "_Fog Cloud._"

From where Aryn was pointing the symbol, a cloud of white fog suddenly sprung up, engulfing the orc who gave a confused grunt at what just happened. Since he didn't begin screaming about attacks or enemies, the group felt some relief that he didn't think anything about the mist.

"And I'm going to give Medusa and Aryn each a Bardic Inspiration die, just to be safe," Romeus whispered before he took out his lute and played a low tune on his instrument. Possibly a stupid thing to do, but he knew they would need it. As he played, glowing purple d6 dice appeared in front of his friends before they zoomed into their pouches.

"Then let's go!" Thalai grinned, hefting her axe.

The group leaped from their hiding spots and dashed into the cloud. As they moved, they all dropped d20's as they approached the orc, muttering for Stealth Checks. The die all fell, landing on 17 for Romeus, 19 for Medusa, 16 for Aryn, and a natural 20 for Thalai, allowing all of them to slip through the fog without the orc noticing them. When the form of the orc could be seen poking at the embers again, Romeus decided they were close enough and they began their attack.

"Initiative!" he roared, making the orc's head snap up in surprise.

D20 dice flew, but none of the adventurers paid attention. Since they took the orc by surprise, it would not be able to attack or even act for the first round, leaving it open for assault. An opportunity none of the others were willing to miss as they began lashing out.

"Hiyah!" Romeus called, lunging with his rapier for the orc's back. His d20 flew true and landed on a total of 18, letting his blade flash and dig into the Orc's hide. It roared in pain as it took 5 damage from the strike.

As Romeus took his sword out, Aryn lifted her trident and used a two-handed lunge for the orc's side. Her blue d20 reflected her attack, but landed on a 1, causing her to stumble and having to stop lest she trip.

"Tsk!" Medusa hissed, seeing the failure of an attack before she pointed her staff at the orc, "_Eldritch Blast!_" Her own d20 was more faithful as it revealed a total of 22, which let the snake-like strike blast into the orc. The d10 which flew with the impact dealing a total of 12 damage. The blast actually blasted _through _the surprised orc, letting it collapse with a hole in its torso before it vanished into purple and green pixels.

"Well shit," Aryn hissed, stomping her foot. Around them the fog faded away as it did when she made her attack, her concentration broken. "Stupid dice."

"Better here than in there," Romeus pointed to the cave. "But not like we'll get much of a chance not to risk it if we go in there."

"We don't have much of a choice if we want the reward and the information that Red Wizard has," Medusa shook her head. "So let's go and deal with this."

Steeling themselves, the group entered the cave and traveled down the carved tunnel. It didn't take long to realize that the orcs were there. The smell alone told them that it was housing the monsters. The stench made Aryn want to retch while the others silently gagged on the smell, thinking it might be worse than the stench the zombies gave off back at Old Owl Well.

The soon heard the grunts and orcish language of their quarry as they reached where the orcs were lounging. The orcs were seated around a pot of some kind of stew, chewing on their dinner. The seven gray-skinned and tusked creatures were grunting and belching, looking like a pack of slobs. One was a head taller than the others, obviously the leader as he kept going back for seconds. At the back of the room though, eating what could only be the roasted ribs of a cow, was a beastly, pale-skinned ogre with a bulging gut and barely wore any clothing save for a loincloth and boots.

"Ew," Aryn grimaced.

"Go for the big one?" asked Thalai, gripping her axe for comfort.

"Mn," Romeus frowned. "Yeah. Ogres are way tougher than orcs. We take him down, the others will be much easier."

"But we can still get overrun," Medusa argued. "We cut down the orcs first, we can all focus on the big guy and not get nailed from behind."

Thalai hummed, "How about...you guys nail the ogre with magic and I crush orcs to cut 'em down a little?"

Romeus sighed, "Not much choice. Just try to hit the leader first. Usually orcs rally around that one" Frowning, he steeled himself for a fight. "Okay, on my mark." He lifted his lute and plucked the strings, "Initiative!"

Like with the one outside, the orcs all perked up, stupefied with the ogre looking much the same from their meals. At the word, the d20's flew once again, clattering on the cave floor with their golden numbers rolling up to show the order.

Romeus grinned as the dice vanished and he felt the rush indicating that he could go first. Realizing he had a chance for a surprise, he decided to go in hard and fast to catch them all by a true surprise. He raced towards where the orcs were circled around before he came to a stop, seeing their incredulous looks. Grinning, he held his hands out before he clapped them together, "_Thunderwave!_"

As his hands clapped together, a thundering boom echoed through the cave and a shockwve came with it. As it hit each orc, a d20 rolled as the orcs tried to resist the effect. Out of the entire band of orcs, only two on Romeus' right managed to dig their feet into the ground and keep from skidding back. The rest, including the leader, were pushed back 10 feet in heaps of grunts and groans of pain. As the orcs crashed, Romeus had two d8 appear, showing a total of 14 damage done to the orcs. Of course, the ones that resisted took half of that at 7.

"Woah," Arny gaped.

"Better in person," Medusa nodded.

"Woooh! Go little guy! Save some for me!" Thalai laughed, charging into the fray herself. She immediately went for the orcs who remained engaged with Romeus. "_RAGE!_"

She roared across the room and came to one of the surprised orcs. It blinked and it's eyes widened when it saw her coming. She swung hard and rolled her attack. A total of 20 announced the hit as the axe struck the orc. A total of 9 was what she got, digging deep into the orc's torso and slaying it in one blow.

Medusa saw her chance and quickly moved into the fray. She remembered Romeus' past instruction for trying to hit the leader of the orcs. If they were lucky, with him gone the others would run. Spotting him crashed into the far side of the cavern wall, she lifted her staff and took careful aim, "_Eldritch Blast!_"

A 16 turned 20 was more than enough, sending the serpentine blast into the chest of the orc leader. The humanoid roared in pain, taking a d10 worth of damage. It was 3 at first, but thanks to the _Agonizing Blast_ Eldritch Invocation, her Charisma modifier (+2) was added to the result, making it a 5.

Although it came to be the orc's turn, they were too busy pulling themselves up from the damage they took and the sudden surprise they had. This was a surprise round for the party, something which gave the group a free round with no enemies who had been unaware of them could do anything in the first round. The ogre was much the same, blinking stupidly from where its mouth was half open to bite the rack of ribs.

Aryn quickly saw her opening and ran to follow Medusa's lead. Coming next to the team Warlock, she lifted her holy symbol of Eadro. The icon began to shine as Aryn decided to go all out for her spells, "_Guiding Bolt!_"

The symbol flashed and a beam of light/water surged through the air at the still surprised orc leader. He blinked before a d20 rolled to represent the attack. A 16 turned 19 was more than enough as the beam crashed into the orc with a blast of radiant blue light. It was 4d6 which rolled for the damage, coming up as 12 damage. It was enough as the orc leader vanished in a haze of blue, leaving some of his belongings behind.

Romeus laughed at the sight of the orc leader vanishing. He quickly looked to the other orcs, some who were looking shocked at the leader's rapid demise. Turning to the ogre, who seemed to be getting ovr his shock, he quickly took out his lute and strummed a quick, "_Vicious Mockery!_"

Romeus sung his short and insulting song at the ogre, mostly about his smell and eating habits. The ogre blinked again, letting a red d20 appear. Rolling to a 13, it would have succeeded, but the ogres were known to be very dim. Rather than go up, the result went down to an 11. The ogre immediately grunted, rubbing its head as a purple glow came from its ears. A d4 announced it took 4 damage from the attack.

"Who's next?" Thalai grinned, looking to see who wanted to fight. The orcs looked very discouraged and redy to run. The ogre on the other hand just began to snarl. Thalai laughed and gripped her weapon, "Okay, you next!" She roared and dashed for the ogre, swinging her axe wildly.

Then her dice rolled a 1. She tripped on a rock, landing on the ground in a heap with a yelp. Fortunately she managed to keep from being prone, but the ogre started to chuckle at the sight, tossing its ribs aside to pick up a greatclub.

Medusa moved to be near Thalai so she could get a clear shot on the ogre. Lifting her staff, she announced her spell, "_Ray of Sickness!_" The Snake at the top of her staff turned green with energy, looking alive before it spat a stream of glowing red magic poison at the ogre. Her dice showed a 3 turne 7 and the ogre blocked the stream with its club, letting the magic venom sizzle on its surface.

"Oh come on!" Medusa groaned.

Finally, the orcs seemed to snap out of their stunned or pained stupor. Quickly they got their wits about them and began bolting for the exit of the cave. Romeus had to sigh with relief as he let the orc near him make a run for it. His guess had been right, the leader was holding the band together and seeing him go town robbed the others of their courage.

Snarling, the ogre was the only one left as it stomped towards the pair and looked at them before it focused on Thalai. With a roar, it swung its club at her. Its dice rolled, coming up as a pair, disadvantaged by Romeus' _Vicious Mockery._ The lower result was a 1, missing entirely as it lost its balance, dizzy from the effects of the spell.

"Can we do something before this thing smears us into paste?!" Medusa cried out, finding the ogre looked much bigger up close than it did from a distance.

"Trying to!" Aryn added. "_Sacred Flame!_" The water-like flames fired for the ogre, whose dice rolled to save it. Still, a 14 turned 13 was enough to missed as the ogre ducked its head, letting the magic fly over it head to splash harmlessly on the cavern wall. "Oh come on!"

Romeus acted quickly, strumming a distinctly darker tune on his lute, "_Dissonant Whispers!_" He quickly told a scary halfling campfire song for the ogre. Again, the ogre blinked dimly before it's dice tried to save it again. This time was an utter failure with a 4 turned 2. Immediately the ogre screamed in terror and began to run for the mouth of the cave. Taking 3d6 dice worth of psychic damage, totaling 9 damage as it went.

"Uh…" Aryn blinked, "Is the spell supposed to do that?"

"It scares the target away," Romeus answered, "But be ready. It may come back as mad as a hornet!"

The party did indeed wait and Thalai knew her turn was coming up. After a moment, she didn't feel the familiar rush of invigoration telling her that she was able to move. Instead, the restrictions of movement and actions suddenly vanished. Motes of light, gold to represent XP, began to appear in the room before swirling aground the group, adding to their totals.

"Wait…it ran?" asked Thalai. "Where's the fun in that?"

"I'll take it," Romeus sighed. "Fight smarter, not harder and all that."

"I'll sign on for that," Medusa sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Is there any loot at least to make me feel like we got _something_ out of this?"

It wasn't hard to find some kind of loot. The only things left behind were the two dead orcs' gear and a treasure chest of all things. Inside was a pile of coins, and other things. When it was call counted, it totaled 750 coppers, 180 silver, 62 electrum pieces, a valuable blue metal, 30 gold, and three vials of perfume. Why orcs had perfume at all was strange, although the vials were decorated and looked valuable.

The coinage was split evenly, but Romeus found the girls had stolen the vials of perfume. He didn't fight them for it, as it looked lie quality goods beyond just money.

The hiss the three gave him when they grabbed them just confirmed his will not to fight.

Once they had the spoils, the group decided to get away from the cave before any straggling groups of orcs who were allied with the ones they killed returned. They left the cave, feeling tired, dirty, but somewhat victorious, making tracks from the cave for safer pastures.

They limped along, walking down the hills, leaving the rocky Wyvern Tor behind. Travelling on the paths through the hills, they began coming to the ruins of Old Owl Well, clearly dark now. Coming to the walls, they stopped so they wouldn't trigger the zombies into attacking them again. Romeus stepped forward to the edge of the area where the tent Kost was using was set up.

"Kost? Are you there?" he called out.

The tent flaps ruffled and the Red Wizard emerged. An eyebrow raised as he saw the adventurers he had sent off. Gesturing to the zombies hidden inside of the tower, he waved for the adventurers to approach him. The group did, showing that there were a little worse for wear, but otherwise seemed alive and well.

"I take it your found the orcs," the wizard observed the group.

"We did. They had an ogre with them," Romeus huffed. "We took care of them, so the only ones left would likely be any scouting groups they had." Technically a lie, but with the leader dead the others would be aimless.

"I see. Adequate work I suppose," the wizard nodded. "Then I suppose I will have to tell you what I know about the Black Spider."

"That's his name?" asked Aryn.

"Yes, he's a crime lord with connections into many of the bandit groups," Kost explained. "He is dug in deep and even has connections to the Underdark if what I heard is true. Slavery, extortion, and organized crime. He has connections to all of it in this area. Why he chose an out of the way place like Phandalin, I can only guess is because of the lost arcane mine which could be a massive resource if anyone could find it."

"Lost arcane mine?" asked Medusa.

"Yes, Wave Echo Cave or so I am told it is called," Kost nodded. "A place where magical items could be forged quite easily. Obviously, the Black Spider suspects it's here if he has set down his web here. I can't think of anything of major value aside from some of the mines. Normally I would be more interested, but with such competition and lack of resources, I'll stick to my research rather than searching for mines."

"Wish we could," Medusa muttered under her breath.

"Alright, thanks for the information," Romeus nodded. "We'll let the town know it's not an incursion of undead here, but a necromancer doing research into the old tower. Hopefully it will get the people to leave you alone."

"Mention I'm a Red Wizard, will you? Necromancy has such a tainted reputation in these lands," Kost huffed. "Now be off with you. I have research to return to."

"Yes sir," Romeus nodded, but flipped the man the bird again when he turned around. The group left Old Owl Well and began heading back to Conyberry, tired, beaten, but happy that their group of side quests was over and that they had the experience to show for it.

They trekked back down the hills, stopping for the night at the border between the hills and the grasslands five miles outside of Conyberry. Camp was set up and everyone was happy for the chance to rest and recover from the brutal battle they went through.

"Remind me not to fight ogres until we level up a bit more," Romeus sighed as he sat down. "One hit and that thing my have taken me own. I'm not made for the front lines."

"Noted," Medusa agreed. "Okay, so we got through the banshee bit, we took care of the orcs, and we even figured out the situation with the zombies. Is there anything else we need to do?"

"We got the list of things to do," Aryn answered. "We just need to talk to the Townmaster and Daran Edermeth at his orchard about what we found at the tower. I noticed those gold lights didn't show up when we got Kost his information and we found out about the zombies."

"Then we probably have to actually tell Daran about the zombies," Romeus nodded. "After that, we still need to talk to the Towmaster to get our reward even we got the XP for it."

"Gold is always good," Thalai nodded with a grin. "So, who has first watch tonight?"

The group set in to sleep and managed another night without incident. A fine respite since they were all still jumpy from the close quarters combat with the orcs and ogre in the cave. There was also the fear they would get jumped by the orcs that ran away, but their night was peaceful. When they woke up, feeling completely refreshed, they collected their gear and set off again.

It was another two days before the group managed to return to Phandalin. They were all weary, but they were happy with themselves for what they accomplished.

"So how do we go about this now?" asked Thalai as the party walked into town. "Rest, or just cash in our spoils, and then rest?"

"Let's just get the cash in out of the way," Romeus sighed. "I'll go talk to Sister Graele and you can see if the owlbear parts are worth anything."

"I'll talk to the Townmaster before doing the same with my perfume," Aryn volunteered.

"Then we'll go speak to Daran and let him know about the Red Wizard," Medusa nodded.

"Good. We'll meet back at the Stonehill Inn and get some decent food," Romeus nodded. A sentiment the entire group shared as they were low or out of rations. With that sweet reward in mind, the group set out to collect what rewards they could for their efforts.

Sister Graele was pleased to see that Romeus had returned, although she was worried for a moment that his friends had been injured. He reassured her that they were all fine, just off doing their own errands at the moment. He relayed what Agatha told them about the book, fearing it would disappoint the priestess. Surprisingly, Graele was anything but displeased by the information, happy to have a lead on the book at all and thanked Romeus graciously for his help. As promised, she gave him three Potions of Healing, which he took with a charming smile and a heartfelt thanks which made the lady blush pleasantly.

Thalai walked to the Lionshield Coster to speak to Linene about what spoils she had. Linene looked over the items, commenting on the good condition of the parts. The jar holding the liver was still cold, making sure the organ remained fresh. Since Phandalin was still so small, the Lionshield Coster was providing a lot of goods for the people outside of provisions. She took both and paid a total of 12 gold for them all. Thalai kind of wanted to argue, considering how dangerous the owlbear was, but she decided to not to fight it.

For Aryn, the Townmaster couldn't have been any different from their last meeting. The man was as happy as a clam and seemed more than willing to talk about the Redbrands, namely how they were being routed now that a band of adventurers smashed their leadership and a member of the Lord's Alliance had organized a constabulary to bring down the rest of them in town. Aryn was sure the man would start glowing from his smiles when she reported that the orcs had been taken care of. He all but threw the 100 gold pieces into her hands and thanked her profusely for doing her part to help them.

Medusa reported back to Daran Edermath, explaining what the discovered at Old Owl Well. He seemed troubled by the fact that a Red Wizard from Thay was there, but like Medusa told Aryn, if he wasn't breaking laws then there was nothing they could do. Raising dead bandits and scaring people may have been distasteful, but it wasn't illegal either. Still, he thanked the pair and told them he'd report to some friends who would be able to help keep an eye on the situation. As she left, white d10s reading 2-0-0 appeared briefly, but Medusa did not notice.

They all returned to the Stonehill Inn and stepped inside. The room was filled with good cheer as it seemed everyone was celebrating the Redbrands being taken care of once and for all. People were swinging tankards, songs were sung, and everyone was just cheering and having fun. In the middle of it all were four people who seemed to be the focus of the people celebrating.

"Hey, it's you guys again!" one of the happy patrons cheered when he saw the four enter the building. He looked to the other adventurers. "Hey Dorn, everybody, your friends are here! Tell 'em how you saved our town by yourselves!"

"Eh?" a ranger of the group looked up to the four along with his comrades. For a brief moment, the group didn't recognize each other. Then in a brief flash, their forms were replaced by their original teenage bodies they had before entering the book.

After a heartbeat, they were replaced again by their current forms, not that anyone else noticed. As one, all eight of them cried out in shock at each other.

"AHHHHHHH?!"

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **And now the two parties are together, one slightly behind the other as Dorn, Kathra, Rael, and Medea have not been idle in the days while the second party have been out running around the land outside of Phandalin.

**Homebrew: **The harvesting system I use comes from _Hammund's Harvesting Handbook_ by Jeffery Yang, available on DMSGuild. It's a system for harvesting parts of monsters for magic items or profit. Very useful if you have players who wish to try and get monster parts to make or enhance items with.


	5. Cragmaw Castle

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. That belongs to Wizards of the Coast and not me. Oh how I wish I could be part of them though. Anyway, I'm not making money off this so enjoy the story.

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 4: Cragmaw Castle**

**(Takes place before Romeus and his party arrive and while they are travelling.)**

"L-Look, we can talk this over," Iarno blubbered as Rael began frog marching him down the secret stairs of his room and into the storage area of his base. His hands were tied behind his back and he wasn't able to put up much of a fight. Instead, he was trying to talk the group into letting him go. "I've got gold! Valuables! I can give them all to you right now if you let me go!"

The group had managed to tie up Iarno while they raided his room for anything else they might use. Naturally they had looted the chest at the foot of his bed. Inside was the choice loot that the Redbrands had collected. That included 180 silver, 130 gold, five carnelian gems, two peridot gems, and even a polished pearl. The party didn't have time to split it, but instead scooped it into a pack. The _Sleep_ spell lasted only for one minute so the group didn't want to longer, but with him hogtied, Iarno had no means of releasing himself.

For Medea, the real treasure came from the glass staff she took from Iarno. What was also in the chest wre a pair of spell scrolls. One was of _Charm Person__**, **_but the real gem was the _Scroll of Fireball_. As a Wizard, Medea had the ability to copy Wizard spells from other sources into her spellbook provided she could cast spells of that level. This was useful, since it allowed Wizards to dd to their spellbooks for more variety instead of waiting to level up to get new spells. _Fireball_ was a level 3 spell, so Medea would have to wait to copy it, but it would be useful to hold on to.

As they finished up with the loot, Irano woke up. Seeing his situation, the Redbrand leader immediately trying to bribe or plead his way out of being captured.

"I'll let you keep everything you found in my chest!" Irano blubbered, hefted over Rael's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "All you have to do is look the other way and let me go!"

"Not happening," Dorn frowned as Kathra made a show of gripping her shortswords. "You murdered innocent people, were going to sell more of them into slavery, and you thought you had the right to do it. There is nothing you can offer that will make us change our minds."

"It was just business! Nothing personal," Iarno whined.

"Well it's personal to us," Medea sniffed, gripping the glass staff Iarno once used. "So shut up and keep walking. Sildar is going to want to speak to you."

"Sildar...Hallwinter?" Iarno paled.

"The one and the same," Rael nodded. Iarno let out a whimper but finally stopped talking.

The group walked along the crevasse and Iarno looked around, as if expecting something to happen. Kathra smirked and relayed the fate of the nothic which was living in the pit, making Iarno pale further as his trump card was already dealt with. It was a cheap shot, but none of the party were feeling particularly generous towards the bandit leader at the moment.

The crossed the southern bridge and walked towards the tunnel where they had entered the base. As they did, Iarno's gaze turned to the stairway to the west. Glancing to his captors one last time, he took and breath and shouted, "INTRUDERS! ENEMIES OF THE BLACK SPIDER! INTRUDERS!"

"Shit!" Dorn hissed, grabbing one of his swords.

A slam of a door came in reply before three bugbears came spilling down the stairs, all of them armed with morningstars and shields, looking particularly angry. One of them was wearing an eyepatch of all things inlaid with glittering stones.

"Glasstaff, you fool!" the eyepatch-sporting bugbear snorted.

"Shut up and help me! I'm important to the Black Spider!" Iarno cried out. The bugbear snorted but lifted his weapon just the same to try and menace the party.

"Shit! Initiative!" Rael called, dropping Iarno like a sack of potatoes. The man landed with a pained groan on the stone floor while the dice flew to set the order. Medea was able to take the lead and she frowned, flexing her free hand. Stepping forward, a risky motion considering her glass cannon constitution, she stood before the bugbear with the eyepatch.

"Huh?" the brute grunted with a frown.

Medea grined and lifted her hand, "_Burning Hands!_" Flames ignited across Medea's outstretched hand before a 15-foot cone of fire erupted from her fingertips. The three bugbears roars of pain before dice rolled to try and save them. The eyepatch bugbear and one of his comrades rolled less than 10, failing the save. The last one rolled a 15, enabling him to duck under the attack, although his body was still scorched by the attack. Finally, 3d6 rolled to reveal the bugbears had been dealt 12 fire damage. It left the first two bugbears covered in blackened burns.

Unbeknownst to the group, Iarno was struggling to get out of his bindings. As he tried to break the rope, his dice rolled to show a 17 turned 16. The rope struggled, but Iarno simply did not have the strength.

"Dammit Medea, you're going to take away all the fun!" Kathra called, running to join her friend in fighting the bugbears. She ran for the lead bugbear's side and lunged with one of her swords. Her dice was good to her, rolling a total of 22, sinking her blade into his side in a flash of red. The bugbear roared, taking 6 damage before Kathra swung again. Her dice (and blade) struck true again, dealing another 6 damage, leaving the bugbear to stumble.

Dorn saw his chance and moved to get his angle before he drew an arrow on the lead bugbear before letting it loose. The die rolled a 4 turned 9. It was not enough as the bugbear lifted his shield and blocked the arrow flying at him.

Rael picked up the slack and charged into the fray, coming to the lead Bugbear's opposite side and swinging hard at him. 11 turned 17 was enough for a hit, the blade sinking into the monster's hide. Using both hands, the dice rolled a d10, showing a total of 13, making the bugbear explode in a rain of lights.

The bugbears looked to each other, seeing their leader die, before they tried to get some distance from their enemies. Seeing their chances, Rael and Kathra swung hard at the pair of them. Rae scored his hit in a flash of red, dealing 13 damage. Kathra sadly missed as her own target backed away,

Wounded, but not deterred, the two bugbears pulled out javelins and began to hurl them at the Paladin and Fighter. An 18 turned 22 was a hit, launching a javelin which struck Kathra in the chest, eliciting a cry of pain, taking 4 damage from the strike. The other javelin missed Rael with a roll of 1, letting it hit the ground before rolling off the side of the crevasse.

Medea stepped forward again before she took aim at the more seriously wounded of the bugbears. Her _Ray of Frost_ missed and splashed against the back wall. She cursed audibly, once again breaking her lady-like image.

As Iarno struggled with the ropes again, only to fail, Kathra charged forward with a rallying roar. Coming upon the injured bugbear, she swung hard with her swords. Her attack rolled a total of 23, slashing the bugbear. Dealing 9 damage, the bugbear vanished in a haze of blue, leaving one left.

Dorn drew another arrow and took aim at the last bugbear. Firing, her dice rolled 11 turned 16. It was just enough as the arrow sank into the bugbear's chest, making him roar in pain and dealing 8 piercing damage.

"I've had enough," Rael huffed. He was tired despite his hit points being near full. He was more than eager to see Iarno face justice for his crimes and he was losing patience with holdups delaying him from that fact. He ran his hand along Talon's surface, making it light up with magical fire, "_Searing Smite!_"

Spell cast, Rael charged at the last bugbear and swung hard with his longsword. The dice rolled, showing 18 turned 24. The blade struck the bugbear, making it roar in pain as it not only took the weapon damage, but also extra fire damage from the spell. The d10 rolled next to a dd6, totaling 15 damage. The attack was devastating as the blast of fire engulfed the bugbear before he vanished into a haze of yellow sparks.

"Next?" asked Rael, looking around.

"No, no, nononono!" Iarno yelled out, still struggling with his bonds. "You idiots! Come out and help me! I know there's more of you! I order you to help me! Help me you fools!"

Kathra scowled at Iarno but noticed the lead bugbear's jeweled eyepatch and a small leather pouch next to it. She scooped up both before looking to her friends, "Okay, let's get out of here before some more thugs show up."

"Agreed," Dorn nodded, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "Rael, let's get this sack of crap back up. He's got an appointment with Sildar."

"Oh, gladly," Rael nodded, sheathing his sword.

(LINE BREAK)

The group marched Iarno straight back to Phandalin, pushing him straight through town with some of the people looking in confusion. They walked straight up to the Townmaster's Hall before pushing the doors open. Inside was the fat form of the Townmaster, or so the group assumed, sitting at a desk at the back of the room. Surprisingly, with him was Sildar who seemed frustrated with the fat man. As the group entered with Iarno, both stopped their argument and looked to the party.

Sildar's face changed to a portrait of shock when he saw Iarno. He then noticed that the man was bound and being roughly pushed forward by the adventurers, "What is all this?"

"Gentlemen, may we introduce the leader of the Redbrands, an underling to the Black Spider himself," Rael announced, gripping Iarno's shoulder tightly.

"What?!" both men cried out, although one in hope and the other in shock.

"We have the proof right here," Dorn, added, lifting the letter that he had found in Irano's quarters inside the derelict manor. Sildar took the letter and read it over. At the first few lines, his features hardened before he looked up to glare at Irano.

"Townmaster, I'll throw this scum into the cells myself!" Sildar growled, roughly taking Irano and steering him towards a door at the back of the room.

Everyone watched them go before he stepped through the door and slammed it shut. As the door was slammed shut, white dice dropped to the ground at the adventurers' feet, revealing 4-0-0, alotting 100 XP for each of them.

"Well, I'm glad that business is dealt with!" the Townmaster beamed, rubbing his hands together. "Now that the back of these ruffians are broken, we can hunt down the dregs and be rid of them once and for all!"

"Some help you were," Kathra muttered.

The door opened at the back and Sildar emerged, looking absolutely furious, but was cooling his temper. He approached the group and sighed, "My thanks for dealing with this. I'm horrified it turned out that Iarno was the one who created this gang of cutthroats."

"He seemed to know you," Dorn crossed his arms.

"He should. He was a member of the Lord's Alliance too. He was the agent who was sent to build the constabulary here in Phandalin. I guess he decided that there was much more profit and power to be had in running a gang with the Black Spider. He always was too ambitious for his own good but…" Sildar shook his head.

"Well, we stopped him, so that's what matters," Kathra nodded. "So let's focus on learning what he knows and bring down the rest of the Redbrands."

"Indeed!" the Townmaster nodded, his fat jiggling in his enthusiasm. "We should collect the able and crush those thugs right away!"

Everyone silently rolled their eyes. They all knew was that the Townmaster had been terrified of doing anything about the Redbrands, fearing retribution if he tried anything. Even when the Redbrands robbed and murdered people, he still didn't want to do anything out of that fear. It didn't take much to guess that when it came time to choose a new Townmaster, the fat man wasn't going to get the job again.

"We should," Sildar agreed. "I have already been starting to collect people willing to take the fight to the Redbrands and bring them down once and for all. Without their leader, their organization is gone and so is their protection."

"Need help?" asked Rael.

Sildar shook his head, "No, you all have done more than enough. We can take care of the thugs in The Sleeping Giant once they start getting drunk, which they do every night which my intelligence suggests. One well-timed strike, and we bring them down in one blow.

"If you're sure," Medea bit her lip.

"I'm sure," Sildar nodded. "You all get some rest. No doubt you have some wounds to treat."

"Boy do we," Kathra groaned.

With reassurances from Sildar, the group headed back to the Stonehill Inn. They all quickly bought meals they could get some good food into their stomachs. Eating quietly, they gave thanks to the staff and headed back up to their rooms.

"Should we split this now?" asked Kathra, lifting a leather sack from her side. The contents were from the chest inside Irano's room. With the hurry they were to get out, they had just hastily moved the coin into the sack with the gems.

"Ahh...how about when we wake up after some sleep?" asked Dorn sighed. "We'll just keep it locked up in our room until we all get some sleep and recover.

A chorus of sleepy agreement as they entered their shared rooms. The men were quick to take the beds and try to get the sleep they needed. Kathra did the same, flopping onto her chosen bed so she could recover, needing it the most. Medea stayed awake, sitting on her bed with the new staff across her lap. He knew it was a magic item, so she decided to attune it to her for her own use. She focused her thoughts and magic on the item, letting the item begin attuning to her rather than Iarno. The process took an hour, the same as a Short Rest, but at the end the _Staff of Defense_ was connected to Medea, allowing her to use its magic.

The staff was actually quite a boon to Medea. Just by being attuned to it, her AC was increased by 1. The staff also had 10 magic charges in it. As an action, she could use the charges to cast _Mage Armor_ with one charge or use 2 charges to cast _Shield_ to protect her in case she would be struck. It was a vital magic item for someone like her.

Satisfied with the find, Medea sat down in her own bed to get some rest.

(LINE BREAK)

When the party managed to get their much needed 8 hours of rest, they picked themselves up and met in the room Rael and Dorn shared. They quickly counting out the loot they discovered in Iarno's room. They quickly split the loot as per their usual method. The gems were split, and then divvied up using dice. Medea naturally took the scrolls, being the arcane expert, but she had an opinion for another part of the loot.

"I think we should keep the pearl, not sell it," Medea offered.

"What? Why?" asked Kathra, raising an eyebrow.

"I remember some spells need a pearl to use," Medea explained. "I can use my arcane focus to skip needing materials, but if the material needed costs money then we can't skip it. Getting the pearl could save us the trouble later."

"That might be a wise investment," Dorn nodded. "Besides, we have plenty of other gems and jewels to sell."

"What about the scrolls?" asked Rael. "Anything we could do with them?"

"Well, we could save Charm Person since it would save the spell slot," Medea pondered. "The _Fireball_ spell though, well, we could do two things. One is we save it for an emergency or save it until I get level 3 spell slots and I can copy it into my spellbook."

"So you can copy it? It's a wizard spell?" asked Kathra.

"It is," Medea nodded. "But the problem is that I don't get third level spell slots until I reach level 5. I can't copy a third level spell until I do."

"Still, it might be worth it," Dorn shrugged. "We're likely to use it before then, but Medea can keep the scrolls until we need them, or she can copy the _Fireball_ spell into her spellbook."

"Fair enough," the female wizard agreed. "So then, shall we sell the spoils?"

"I'm ready to sell my share of the loot," Rael nodded. "The rule stays the same. Any items of value we sell we get the spoils for them alone?"

"The rule hasn't changed since we made it during our first adventures," Kathra rolled her eyes. "That won't change now."

The group moved to the Lionshield Coster where Linene was happy for the business. Gems and things made with platinum were always able to sell, like the spoils the group had collected over the course of their adventure. It was not inconsiderable, giving each member of the party over 100 gold, or even 200 in some cases. Fortunately, the encumbrance rule wasn't being applied to currency, something Dorn did when he led games. Encumbrance for gear and items still applied though.

"Keep this up and you'll drain my budget," Linene laughed, tucking the gems, signet rings, and even the gold teeth from the Cragmaw hideout into a safebox. Her words were light, likely indicating she had contacts in her company which could get better prices for the loot. With the Lionshield being a large network of merchants, she likely did.

"So, did I hear the ruckus clear from The Sleeping Giant? The Townmaster finally got some spine and did something about the Redbrands?" asked Linene. "The Dendrar family came running back into town, saying a band of adventurers rescued them."

"Well, that was us," Rael nodded. "We stormed the place and managed to take down a bunch of them and bring in the leader."

"Now _that_ is a relief!" Linene sighed. "Those thugs have been running around roughshod for much too long! Seems we got lucky when you lot came into town!"

"Well, when we heard what those thugs did, we couldn't just stand by," Medea shook her head. "Still, we still have to find out where Gundren Rockseeker went."

"Oh, which reminds me," Dorn snapped his fingers. "Do you have a lantern to sell?"

"Of course we do. Where do you think you are?" Linene snorted. "What kind? A bullseye lantern or a hooded one?"

"Hmm, better be both, considering how I sometimes need different kinds of light," Dorn shrugged.

"Fifteen gold pieces then," Linene nodded. "Do you want a flask of oil to go with it?"

"Two flasks," Dorn nodded.

"2 silver pieces with that then," Linene nodded.

Dorn handed over the coins and Linene handed him the lanterns and the flasks of oil he had asked for. He tucked them safely into his pack while his friends went over the other supplies they might need. Rael and Kathra both bought _Potions of Healing_. Kathra got three and Rael took two. With the advancing risks in the adventure, it was a wise purchase. Dorn followed their example and got two potions for himself. After paying for their purchases, the group left the store before heading back to the Townmaster's Hall. Inside was the Townmaster, once again looking jolly with himself, like he accomplished something grand. Sildar was at another desk, looking over papers.

"Hello Sildar," Dorn announced himself. "How did the raid go?"

"Oh, hello," Sildar nodded, sitting up with a sigh. "The raid went well. The Redbrands were too drunk to really put up much of a fight. They're all rotting in a cell next to Irano now. You're just in time though." He adjusted himself in the chair, "You four were in their base. Did you see many Redbrands in there?"

Dorn shook his head, "We came in through a secret tunnel and managed to bypass any defenses by finding secret doors in their storage area. We only saw two Redbrands who were guarding the cells where we found the Dendrar family. The rest were probably in other chambers."

"We did fight three bugbears that Irano sicced on us," Medea offered. "He mentioned the Black Spider by name which got the bugbears on us. It shows the kinds of things the Black Spider has working for him too."

"So we don't know if there is anybody left in Tresendar Manor," Sildar nodded.

"Then we should just go up there and raid the place! Let's flush these ruffians out!" the Townmaster huffed, slapping the table.

Sildar shook his head, "If their friends hadn't come back from their drinking and they noticed their leader was missing, they've probably run by now. Still, we should check the manor and see if they holed up and fortified themselves or have truly run off."

"What about Irano?" asked Kathra. "Has he said anything?"

"Not a word," Sildar shook his head. "Likely he thinks that the Black Spider will break him out or something. We have plenty of the Redbrands to interrogate, once they wake up from their drunken states."

"Hopefully one of them feels like talking," Rael scratched his head. "We need to find out where they took Gundren. All we know is that he's in a place called Cragmaw Castle. Supposedly it's twenty miles north...northeast I think, of the cave we saved you from."

Sildar frowned and rubbed his chin, "Twenty miles northeast you say? That might be something worth looking into." he looked to Dorn, "Ranger, would you might be able to track the goblins' trail back to their castle, wouldn't you?"

Dorn blinked in surprise before he rubbed his chin, wondering why he hadn't thought of that, "Well...if we go back to that hideout, there might still be some tracks. The weather's been good and if the animals hadn't mucked anything up...we might be able to get a lead in the right direction anyway."

"Then let's go then! Who knows what they're doing to the poor guy!" Kathra declared.

"Um, we need supplies first," Medea reminded the group. "We should get some rations and make sure we're topped off for the road."

"Right, right," the redheaded dwarf sighed.

"I wish you all the luck in your journey," Sildar nodded. "I'll keep trying to interrogate the prisoners we have while we raid the manor for whatever's left. I'll let you know what we found when you return."

"Right," Rael nodded. "Best of luck to you."

"You as well." Sildar nodded back.

need for the road. Linene teased them for being back so soon, but she was happy for the business just the same. The restocked their supplies for the road

Their supplies secured, the four adventurers left Phandalin and headed down the road towards the triboar trail again. The air seemed calm and the weather was fine for the time being. The group was thankful that they didn't have to march in the rain.

They came to the fork in the road which would take them further inland or the coast in which the Sword Coast got its name. As they came to the crossroad, a small thud caught their attention and on the road itself, a red d12 showed a 3. The die lay there for a moment before flashing and vanishing.

"What the-?" Medusa frowned, but was cut off as a loud roar echoed from the air.

The adventurers spun around, grabbing at their weapons as from their right, hiding in the taller grass, the lumbering form of an ogre rose, apparently pretending to be a rock. It was gripping a large greatclub as it lumbered towards them, obvious killing intent in its eyes.

"Crap! Initiative!" Rael shouted, drawing Talon. The dice was cast, setting the pace of the battle. Medea managed to take the lead with the ogre right behind her, followed by Kathra, Dorn, and then Rael.

Medea didn't hesitate for long and slammed her new staff down, "_Mage Armor!_" As she cast the spell, a close aura of magic energy encased Medea's body, acting as a suit of armor for her. The spell turned her AC to 13, which then added her _Dexterity_ modifier to make it 15. A much more respectable amount.

The ogre clearly wasn't impressed. Reaching to its side, it pulled a crude javelin from a holster. Rearing back, it hurled the projectile at Rael. The familiar d20 appeared and rolled to total 19, piercing Rael's chain mail in a flash of red. Rael grunted in pain and doubled over as 2d6 rolled to total 8 piercing damage. Not inconsiderable for a level 2 character.

"Bring it on, tubby!" Kathra roared, charging at the ogre herself.

"Wait! We should try to use range on it before it gets too close!" Dorn tried to advice, but Kathra was already closing the distance between herself and the ogre.

"Hotheaded dwarves!" Rael huffed in agitation.

Kathra reached the ogre, which really towered over her, before she lashed out with her shortswords. Blue d20s flew for the two attacks. The two dice landed, totaling 10 and 14. Kathra slashed with her first sword, but she had misjudged the height of her attacker and missed. Growling, she thrust and pierced the ogre's belly with her second attack. The ogre roared in pain as a d6 dropped, resulting in a total of 8.

"She's going to drive me to a heart attack!" Dorn huffed, seeing the ogre bellow from the one stab. Quickly drawing an arrow for his longbow, Dorn took careful aim and let his d20 fly before he let loose the arrow. The die dropped to a total of 12, enough for the arrow to collide with the ogre's chest. It roared again, a d8 showing a 7 which became a 10.

Rael followed his dwarven friend, running a hand over his sword while using his magic, "_Thunderous Smite!_" Yellow magic ran up his sword as the power was filled in Talon's blade, turning the blade a storming yellow. Magic set, he ran at the ogre himself.

"RAAAAAHH!" Rael roared, swinging as hard as he could at the ogre's side. Dice rolled, showing a natural 20. Talon lit up like a corona, impacting against the ogre's side with a thunderous crash that sounded like a thunderclap. The ogre doubled over from the attack. From the impact point, a d10 and 2d6 rolled, dealing slashing and thunder damage. The numbers first came up as 5, 5, and 6 but it all doubled, added with his _Strength_ modifier, and made a total of 36 damage.

From the ogre itself, a d20 rolled and landed on a 14 turned 18. The ogre's feet skidded back slightly, but it didn't move although it slumped in pain.

"Holy shit," Dorn and Medea gasped. Paladin magic was no joke!

"Holy shit," Rael and Kathra blinked, seeing the ogre's entire side lit up with red energy to represent a wound. How was it still alive?

The ogre grunted, drool dripping from its lips, but then roared and swung it's club down at Rael. It's dice revealed a 9 which turned to a 15. Rael jumped back, just barely missing the club coming down on him, smashing into the ground he stood on.

"Heads up! _Ray of Frost!_" Medea called after running to get a clear shot on the ogre. Shooting the familiar beam of freezing energy at the ogre. Her d20 landed on a 7, but with her modifier it became a 13, a solid hit. The cold beam blasted against the ogre, making another scream. Her d8 resulted in a 5, making the ogre roar, but it was cut off as the monster froze solid. After a moment, it shattered into motes of light, letting the XP flow to the party.

"Holy," Dorn sighed, shouldering his bow again. "Rael, where were you hiding _that_?"

"Just a trick I picked up," Rael chuckled weakly. "Natural 20's sure make it better though."

"I'll say," Kathra sheathed her swords. "I think they heard that all the way back in Phandalin."

Collecting themselves, the group headed back to their journey, trekking down the Triboar Trail towards the coast and in the direction of the Cragmaw Hideout which heralded the beginning of the group's little adventure. They passed through the day, making idle conversation on things which crossed their minds. A lot of it was speculation on what they'd find with Cragmaw Castle or who the Black Spider might be.

Kathra did tease Dorn on not guessing he could use Survival checks or a similar skill to try and track where the Cragmaws would go other than their cave. Dorn defended himself by saying that no one else had thought of it either so she didn't get to laugh at him. Besides, they got information from their former prisoner.

It was dark by the time the group reached the Cragmaw Hideout, the area looking less intimidating than before with the goblins having been cleared out. It was too dark to begin hunting for tracks, so the group decided to set up camp and start trying to track the group the next day.

As the group was setting up their camps, another familiar clacking sound came. In the midst of some rocks, a red d20 was seen, showing a 17. Next to it, a d12 was showing a 6. Both dice flashed before movement could be heard coming from the opening ov the cave.

The adventurers drew weapons, feeling tense once again as four figures could be seen coming out of the cavern mouth. The experienced D&D players all recognized the creatures with ease, all of them being the red-skinned hobgoblins. The four hobgoblins came out and stopped when they saw the four. The air was still for a moment before a spark of recognition came from the hobgoblins and they all drew their weapons with snarls.

"Initiative!" Kathra roared, letting the dice fly.

The dice flew, letting Rael go first, with Dorn following him, and then the hobgoblins getting the third slot. Kathra would be going fourth and Medea would be last. Rael drew Talon and charged at his pick of the hobgoblins, meeting longsword for longsword. Rael slashed hard, both hands on his weapon against the hobgoblin. A d20 flew to show a 13, becoming a 19 with the modifiers Rael slashed hard, catching the monster across the torso in a flash of red. A d10 rolled, showing a 9 turned 13. The one slash almost bisected the hobgoblin, making it erupt in yellow motes of light.

Dorn took careful aim at the growing chaos and let an arrow fly at his own choice of hobgoblins. His d20 rolled a 19 turned 26. The arrow flew and impacted the hobgoblin's chest, a d8 showing a 9 as the hobgoblin stumbled back, the arrow coming close to striking a vital organ.

Despite the death and wounding of their friends, the hobgoblins rallied and charged at the adventurers with their weapons raised. The first went for Dorn, trying to cut him down and keep him from firing another arrow. It rolled a total of 6, letting Dorn skillfully dodge the strike. The second hobgoblin aimed at Kathra, but got blocked by the dwarf's twin swords. The last hobgoblin hung back, pulling back a longbow before shooting at Dorn once again. This time the attack was true as the arrow flew and impacted his shoulder, taking 7 from Dorn's health as he cried in pain, grasping the arrow.

"Dorn!" Rael cried out.

"I'm fine!" Dorn grunted, yanking the arrow out.

"But these guys won't be!" Kathra shouted, lunging at her hobgoblin target with her swords drawn. Her dice alone landed on 17 and 19, letting her blades come in close to stab the the hobgoblin in the torso. The hobgoblin screeched as twin d6 flew from the impacts, rolling a grand total of 15 damage. The blades penetrated clean through its torso before its body flashed and exploded into blue light, ending the goblinoid.

Medea pulled back her arm and took aim at the hobgoblin with the longbow and launched her spell, "_Ray of Frost!_" The cryomancy spell fired towards the hobgoblin with the bow. The dice were not helpful as the hobgoblin ducked under the blow, letting it vanish into the cave.

"Oh come on!" Medea groaned.

"So, do you need my help?" asked Rael since the fight turned back to him.

"No! Just get the last one!" Dorn huffed in the fight.

"Okay," Rael nodded, looking to the last hobgoblin. "Heads up ugly!" He charged into the fray at the last hobgoblin and lashed out with his sword. His dice rolled as he swung, coming up to a 17. It was barely a miss as the hobgoblin lifted its bow and blocked the strike.

"You will have to do better, elf!" the hobgoblin grunted, spitting the word 'elf' like a curse.

"HIYAH!" Dorn yelled as he lunged with his swords. He rolled twin (not natural) 20's in total on his dice before his swords buried themselves in the hobgoblin's side, making it roar before exploding into green motes of light. "There! Get the last one!"

The hobgoblin pushed Rael's sword away before swiftly drawing its sword and stabbing at Rael. The dice totaled 5, which was not nearly enough as Rael parried the strike. The elf Paladin smirked, "You'll have to do better than that, hobgoblin!"

Kathra gripped her weapons and quickly flanked the last hobgoblin. Coming to its side, she stabbed at it, rolling her two d20's. Her first roll failed and she missed the hobgoblin, but her second was true, just barely, and she slipped by the hobgoblin's guard and dug her blade into its side. The goblinoid grunted in pain, taking 4 damage from the blow.

"Get clear! _Ray of Frost!_" Medea called, firing another beam of cold energy at the hobgoblin. This time her luck was better, rolling a total of 20. It was a glancing blow, a 2, but it did give the hobgoblin some cold damage.

Rael's turn came again and he pushed the hogbgoblin's sword back before he swung at it once again. Dice rolled and he found his weapon blocked by the hobgoblin once again with a clash of metal. He grunted in frustration but kept trying to keep the goblinoid at bay.

Dorn quickly moved to stand next to Mede and draw another arrow. Taking aim, he fired at the hobgoblin with the distraction his friends were making. 17 turned 24 was enough. His d8 rolled as the arrow flew, leading to an 8. The arrow pierced the hobgoblin's neck, making it choke before it vanished in a blast of lights.

"Okay," Kathra sighed, lowering her swords. "That was harder than it had to be. Do we get any loot from it?"

The group examined where they fought. The managed to collect 17 silver pieces, 6 gold pieces, and to their delight, 2 platinum pieces. The hobgoblin who used his bow had left his arrows, allowing Dorn to restock. To their confusion, one of the four left a small bundle of papers behind. Dorn scooped them up, and his eyes widened when he saw them.

"They're...bounty posters for _us!_" he gasped, looking over the four papers, showing crude drawings of each of them. Each one was promising 25 gold coins for delivering them to the Black Spider or for their heads. There was no doubt the Black Spider was the one who set the bounty since each paper was marked with the same black spider marking the letter Iarno held sported.

"I don't believe it," Medea gasped as she and her friends each looked at the papers. "How could he get these sent out so quickly?"

"He had spies in Neverwinter, remember?" Rael reminded his friend. "That spy probably had given descriptions of us and sent them ahead. The Black Spider then had these posters made and handed them out to his hobgoblins here. He probably knows everything we did before we set off."

"Damn," Kathra shook her head. "This guy has a serious network behind him."

"And he's determined to get Wave Echo Cave too," Dorn frowned, flipping the papers over. Looking, he spotted a short message on the back of Rael's poster. It was written in goblin, a language none of the group knew. Dorn dismissed it and tore the papers so no one would find them and try to cash in, "Now we have to find Gundren before the Black Spider decides to kill him, if he hasn't already."

"No shit," Kathra huffed.

The group settled into their camp, eating the first of their rations and calming down from the battle by splitting up the loot. The weapons and armor was left behind, but the coins were split evenly. As the adrenaline wore down, they all began feeling weary from the travel of the day. With Kathra taking the first watch, the group settled down to sleep for the night.

The group got up when daylight came and Dorn set to work on trying to find tracks.

"Do you even know how to find tracks?" asked Kathra.

"No," Dorn replied, looking to the path. "But we might have lucked out with those hobgoblins. If we have any luck, they may have come straight from Cragmaw Castle to check this place out." He reached into his pouch and tossed out his d20, "Survival Check."

The dice rolled and landed on a 7 before it changed to the 12 with the modifier from his Survival proficiency. The die sat on the ground for a moment before it flashed green and in Dorn's eyes, he could see tracks which were not his group's pop out like they were lit up in neon light.

"There we go," Dorn grinned, his eyes following the tracks to the hobgoblins. With those tracks though, they were older and smaller tracks of similar shape, likely goblins. "This way guys. I think we're onto something."

They followed the tracks to the northeast. The tracks weren't very hard to follow now that Dorn knew what to look for. The goblins didn't try to cover their tracks, likely not even thinking of trying such a thing. As they followed the tracks to the edge of the Neverwinter Wood, a sudden growls echoed through the air.

The group stopped and gripped their weapons. They looked around for any kind of clue they were under attack, or if it was just a sound of nature. After a few moments, the group spotted movement, revealing a red d20 which landed on a 5 turned 9. Immediately, they drew their weapons and looked in the direction of the dice, spotting grey glurs moving to the edge of the forest.

Darting up from the woods came a group of wolves, all of them looking quite ferocious and determined to kill the four adventurers for some food. There were five in total as they began to circle the group like any typical pack of wolves.

"Shit," Rael grimaced, gripping his sword.

"No," Dorn grabbed the Paladin's arm. "Not every encounter we have has to be a fight. We've got the castle coming up so let's try to peacefully deal with this."

"Oh yeah?" asked Medea, gripping her staff. "How do you plan for that?"

Dorn looked to the growling wolves and remembered the ones he met back in the Cragmaw hideout, "Everyone pull out some rations. They're looking for food so we'll give them some."

The other members of the party looked at Dorn, but he was the Ranger of the party so he likely knew what he was talking about. All members pulled out one of their rations, making sure there was meat there. Five rations were pulled out and Dorn took them all. Stepping forward lightly, which made the wolves growl lightly, Dorn presented the rations and whispered, "Animal Handling check."

A d20 rolled as the wolves considered Dorn and the scent of meat in front of him. To Dorn and his friends, it seemed like they were waiting forever for the dice to stop rolling. It came to a stop on a 5 which became a 10 before the dice vanished. The wolves considered the offering, some soft growls coming from their throats. Finally, they moved and each snapped up one of the rations before running off into the forest. In their wake, motes of light representing XP floated towards the group.

"Whew," Medea drooped in relief. "Dorn, this thing you have for animals may get us into trouble one day."

"But not today," Dorn grinned. "Better we lose some rations instead of hit points and our potions."

"True," Kathra nodded. "So let's get back on the trail and-!"

Her words were cut off as their dice flashed with light and rose up, beginning to circle the four players. Shocked at first, the our began to grin as they realized that they had leveled up and got to Level 3. This would allow them access to an archetype, a template to their skills, and new abilities to make the coming raid on the castle easier.

Dorn's world of green was bright as the words were written in the magic aura.

Dorn's world lit up in green as his ranger abilities were boosted by a deepening bond with nature. Wrods written in green energy appeared before him

_With your deepening bond with nature, you now have achieved Primeval Awareness. By expending one spell slot, you can for one minute per spell level sense all abberations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead within one mile of you. This does not tell you their location or numbers, merely their presence._

_Your abilities as a Ranger have risen to the point where you have reached a crossroads. You may now choose to join a Ranger Archetype based on your skills. Choose one:_

_Hunter: The Ranger who truly is the bulwark between the wilderness and civilization._

_Beast Master: The Ranger who serves as the bridge between the gap between wilderness and civilization._

"I choose the Hunter!" Dorn declared. The words of his choice flashed as the knowledge of his archetype filled him. New words quickly followed.

_As a Hunter, you now have a Hunter's Prey. Choose one:_

_Colossus Slayer: deal extra damage to your foes as they are weakened._

_Giant Killer: When a Large or larger creature within five feet hits or misses you, attack them as a reaction_

_Horde Breaker: Attack multiple enemies at once during a single turn._

Dorn frowned at the options, unsure of what to pick. He had read the book they were all sucked inside of before the sessions started so he did know a little of further adventures. He also knew what creatures could be running around if they weren't careful. After a moment of consideration, he decided, "Giant Killer!"

The words flashed and the true description of the Giant Killer attribute was revealed. If a Large ror larger creature was within five feet of him and they hit or miss him, he could use a reaction to strike back against them if he could see them.

_With your empowerment with nature, you now have three first level spell slots and may know three spells. Choose it now._

"Hail of Thorns," Dorn declared, already knowing what he wanted. The spell and all its particulars entered his mind, making him nod in satisfaction. Finally, he saw his d10 representing his possible new hit points. Deciding to take a risk, he rolled the dice, seeing it land on a 7 which added to his maximum hit points.

Rael felt his divine power surge through him as his level increased. The words soon wrote across his vision, letting him know what he had achieved.

_Your dedication to the ways of the paladin has reached Rillifane and he has rewarded you with enhanced power. With new divine power coursing through you, you have achieved Divine Health, which makes you immune to disease_

_The time has also come to swear your oath as a paladin and join the ranks of your brothers as a true paladin. Which oath shall you take?_

_Oath of Devotion: Paladins of white, the holy warriors who dedicate themselves to ideals of honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty._

_Oath of Ancients: Paladins of green, the warriors of nature, of life, who kindle the light, shelter it, preserve their own, and ultimately be the light who shall chase away the darkness._

_Oath of Vengeance: Paladins of black, warriors of punishment against evil. They fight the greater evil, offer no mercy to the wicked, win against it by any means necessary, and restore to those who lost in that struggle their restitution._

Rael already knew the oath he would take, having chosen it when he made his character, "I choose the Oath of Ancients! So I do swear to Kindle the Light, Shelter the Light, Preserve my own Light, and Be the Light for those who live in despair!"

_So it is sworn. Rillifane is pleased._

_By swearing this oath, you now can Channel Divinity, You may now channel that power in Nature's Wrath, which may restrain your enemies. You also gain the power of Turn the Faithless, which shall turn Fey and Fiends away from you when you present your holy symbol and speak the words of faith. You must finish a short or long rest after using this ability._

_As a result of your enhanced power, you now have three first level spell slots to use. You also now have access to the Ensnaring Strike and Speak with Animals spells. These two spells are always prepared and do not count against the spells you may prepare._

Rael grinned, feeling the power course through him. He was offered a choice of how to increase his hit points. Since he was only at 18, he decided to just go for the middle increase and took an extra 7 hit points.

Medea's world lit up in purple as the arcane energies surrounded her, boosting her to a new level of power.

_With the added power of the arcane within you, you now have four first level spell slots, and two second level slots. You may also add two spells to your spellbook. Choose them now._

"Scorching Ray and Web," Medea declared, picking two second level spells. She knew with her new level, she could have seven spells prepared, of which right now she had two extra slots to prepare her newest spells.

Once the spells were chosen and inscribed into her spellbook, Medea saw her choice of a hit point increase. Knowing she could try to pad her hit points, she tried to roll the dice. It came to a 4, making her huff even when she got her rise in vitality.

Kathra felt a rush of invigoration come from her level going up. She didn't let her distract her though as she saw the words writing themselves in the air.

_Your skills in a Fighter have increased, and now you reach a threshold, a crossroads in your skills. Now you may choose a Martial Archetype to follow in your ways as a Fighter. Which shall you choose?_

_The Champion: The Fighter who pursues physical perfection with raw power and deadly percision_

_The Battle Master: The Fighter who sharpens his mind along with his body and skills._

_The Eldritch Knight: The Fighter who incorporates magic as well as martial skill into his fighting._

Kathra read the choices, but knew one of them would fit her backstory, "I choose the Battle Master!" Her choice flashed while the others faded away and new words wrote into the air.

_As a Battle Master, you learn skills beyond the martial. Choose a set of artisan tools to become proficient in._

Kathra was already proficient in Smith's Tools and Jeweler's Tools, but remembered weapons were made with more than just metal or magic items using more than just jewels, so she quickly chose the Woodcarver's Tools. The choice made, more words were written in.

_You also now can utilize Superiority Dice (d8) to use special maneuvers during your battles. You begin with four of them and may learn three maneuvers. Select them now._

Maneuvers were special actions Kathra could take in battle, using her superiority dice to gain bonuses for herself or her allies when she used them. As the options were presented to her, she quickly chose Riposte, which would let her attack back should an attack miss her, Parry, which would allow her to reduce damage from a successful attack on her, and the Precision Attack, which would let her add her Superiority Dice to an attack for a better chance to strike.

After making her choices, she found her d10 spinning to offer a roll or a single amount. Feeling she had a nice chunk of health already she rolled the dice. Her luck rewarded her with an 8, increasing her health by a greater amount.

As the light died down and the dice returned, the four adventurers grinned at each other as they took in the fact they were much better prepared to fight in Cragmaw Castle now.

With a renewed sense of optimism, the group went back to their tracking, following the trail that Dorn had picked up from the hobgoblins. They passed into the Neverwinter Wood. Entering, Dorn strained his eyes as the tree roots of the thick forest made taking the tracks slightly harder. He rolled his d20 and another Survival Check. It landed on an 8, turned to a 13 which had the die flash green. Immediately he could see the hobgoblin tracks despite being a few days old.

"This way," he spoke, gesturing his friends to follow him. Even with the dimming light, he was still able to see the trail.

The four adventurers followed the trail before Dorn gestured them to keep quiet and move slowly. With a few more feet of travel, they stopped when they saw a structure in a clearing in the woods. A few more feet saw a crumbling castle rising up in the darkening sky. It wasn't incredibly high, looking more like a set of ruins than any kind of actual fortress. There were dim fire lights on in the fortress, but the noise from inside mentioned that

"The trail leads here," Dorn whispered.

"Probably not a good idea to just go in swords slashing," Kathra muttered.

"No, duh," Medea huffed. "Especially not when they probably outnumber us."

"Yeah," Dorn nodded. "And fighting at night might give us a disadvantage. Hobgoblins and goblins have an advantage at dark since they have darkvision too."

"So should we camp out somewhere and go for it during daylight?" asked Rael.

"Might be our best bet," Dorn nodded. "Let's get some distance before we try. I don't want to get jumped by hobgoblins again."

The group slipped back into the woods, getting out of sight of the castle and setting up a clearing of their own where they could keep watch as well as stay out of sight of any possible patrols. Breaking out their rations, they ate and took their watch as they recovered from the trials of the day. Fortunately, they were able to sleep through the night without incident.

Daylight rose again and with it, the adventurers came with it. Steeling themselves, they began approaching the castle again. Medea kept her mind on her abilities and cast _Mage Armor _with her Staff of Defense. This way she would be able to take part in a fight immediately instead of scrambling to protect herself.

The group approached the castle again, the ruins looking slightly more innocent than they did before. With no light in the windows and no obvious sounds of occupation, no one would have thought twice about the sight of the ruins. The only ones who really would have bothered with them were would-be adventurers. Adventurers like the group looking at said ruins.

"So, smash in the front or try to go in the sides?" asked Rael.

"Hm," Dorn frowned. "This place looks pretty ruined. Maybe we can find a hole in the walls somewhere?"

"Oh!" Medea suddenly gasped. "We grabbed a bunch of cloaks when we killed all those Redbrands in Phandalin and their base, right?"

"Yeah. So?" asked Kathra.

"Well, these Cragmaw guys all work for the Black Spider like the Redbrands do," Medea explained. "So they probably know each other."

Dorn blinked, but the his eyes widened, "Oh, right! We can sneak in by pretending to be Redbrands!"

"Exactly!" Medea nodded, glad her friend was catching up on her plan.

The group quickly got their packs and pulled out the cloaks they had taken as spoils from the Redbrands they had dealt with. Wrapping the cloaks around their shoulders, they got comfortable and lifted the hoods to help conceal her faces.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" asked Kathra. "We need to get to the boss. Do we even remember his name?"

"King Grol," Rael answered. "I remembered the name when we took that goblin prisoner before we took on the cave they were hiding in."

"Oh yeah," Dorn nodded. "Okay, let's get going and hope this works."

"That's encouraging," Kathra rolled her eyes.

The group of adventurers stepped out into view and walked towards the front doors of the keep. Approaching, they saw that the castle had seven towers, although all of them were broken and in ruins. There were front doors, but they were on the ground, leaving the front wide open.

As the group came closer, stepping onto the stone in front of the entrance, they suddenly heard something shout from from the tower to the right, what part wasn't ruined in any case, "Humies stay back! Why you here?"

Dorn stepped forward, "We come by order of Glasstaff to speak with King Grol!"

The voice of the speaker made a few grumbles. Likely something in the goblin language. Dorn looked to his friends and they watched with worry. After a few seconds, there was a flash of red before a d20 landed at their feet. At the same time, the word _deception_ went through their minds before d20's of their own flew to meet the red one.

The red die showed a 19, which abruptly lowered to an 18 thanks to the deficiency in wisdom that all goblins had. Still, it was a big number to overcome. Their own dice flew, landing near the red one to reveal their own numbers. Rael's landed on an 18, Kathra's a 4, Dorn's a 14, and Medea a natural one.

They all failed the check.

"Glasstaff captured! You lie!" the goblin inside of the tower shouted before it fired an arrow.

"So much for that!" Kathra huffed as the four dodged the arrow. "Cheese it! We're going in!"

The dwarf dashed into the entry hall of the castle, lifting her swords and ready for a fight. As she heard shouting from the tower, yells and grunts replied back. On her left, four hobgoblins stormed through with their weapons drawn while on her right, three goblins swarmed in with their dented blades raised high.

"And back out we go!" Kathra yelped, dashing back out of the doors to where her friends were. "We've got company!"

"Like we already don't?!" Dorn retorted, drawing back an arrow to try and shoot into the murder holes of the towers where the goblin archers were firing more arrows.

"I mean more company!" Kathra shouted, the goblins and hobgoblins coming out behind her. "Those guys!"

"Aw shit! Initiative!" Dorn shouted, lifting Talon. Dice appeared and flew, a myraid of colors representing the different combatants in the scuffle. The dice clacked on the stone, revealing the results. Kathra took the lead with an 18, but the goblins followed up and with their numbers, it could spell bad news for the dwarf and her friends. Rael, Medea, and Dorn would go after the goblins and the hobgoblins would take up the rear.

"Moving!" Kathra shouted, running to the far end of the stone entryway, back onto the dirt path in front of the castle where her friends had backed away in the chaos. Turning around, she swiftly sheathed her swords before taking out her bow and notching an arrow. She didn't have a straight line of sight on the archery goblins, but she had a good bead on the rest.

Steeling herself, Kathra let the arrow fly at the goblins coming out of the castle. Her d20 flew and it landed on an 11, turning to a 16. The arrow flew and as a result, found a perfect path between her and its target. Her d8 for damage dropped next, landing on a 7 which grew to a 10. The arrow flew and punctured the throat of a goblin, making it choke as it was covered in blue light before it vanished into pixels.

"Ha! One down!" Kathra grinned.

"More to come! Don't get cocky!" Rael warned.

Far from intimidated by the death of their comrade, or perhaps just kept from running by the hobgoblins behind them, the goblins yelled in their strange tongue and charged for the group, two goblins strong while the remaining four took aim from their murder holes.

Rael, and Dorn all had a goblin attack them, each slashing wildly with a scimitar. Red dice flew as the goblins drew closer with killing in their eyes. The dice clacked, each showing a different result as the ones who cast it lunged for their specific target.

The first goblin swung at Dorn, it's d20 landing on an 11, turning to a 15. Dorn tried to block with his weapons, but being an archer more than a swordsman, the blade went through his defense and caught him in the chest, leaving a bright red line there, subtracting 8 hit points from him.

The second goblin lunged for Rael, cackling as it thought it saw a soft spot to strike. It rolled an 8 turned 12, it's sword only hitting the metal of Rael's chain mail and not breaking through it like it thought it would.

"Down! Down!" one goblin voice shouted from the towers. The three goblins suddenly moved and four more red d20s flew, representing the goblin archers in the tower. The first landed on an 11 to turn to a 15 before an arrow flew and missed Rael's shoulder by a safe margin. A second landed on a 2 turned 6, also missing Medea. The third landed on a 3 turned 7, allowing Dorn to dodge the arrow aimed at him. The last was on a 12 turned 16, landing a solid hit into Kathra's shoulder.

"Son of a bitch!" Kathra grunted, yanking the arrow out in a flash of red. With it came 7 hit points from her health.

"You okay?" asked Rael, lifting his sword.

"Peachy!" Kathra hissed, the pain throbbing in her shoulder.

"Then it's payback time!" Rael growled, swinging his sword at his goblin opponent using both of his hands. His d20 flew with his swing, landing on an 11 which turned to a 17, easily allowing the blow to land. His d10 landed on a 6 turned 10, allowing his blow to lob off the head of his goblin opponent, death in a single blow. The goblin's body flashed with yellow light and vanished, signaling Rael's victory.

Medea glanced up at the murder holes the goblin archers were using to try and snipe them all. Knowing that the goblins would use them over and over, she decided to do something about it. Moving to the right to view the murder hole on the left, she spied a goblin sniggering as it tried to take aim at the adventurers again.

Frowning, Medea lifted her hand and cast, "_Ray of Frost!_" The arcane blue energy flew through the air at the murder hole. Her d20 flew with it, landing on a 9, which thanks to her spell attack bonus, turned to a 15, just barely enough to strike. Her d8 for damage flew landing on a 7 just before it struck. The goblin received a face full of the attack with a shriek before a purple flash announced its demise.

Dorn begun his turn with both swords flashing as he aimed for his goblin's neck. His first d20 roll landed on a 14 turned 19, more than enough. The strike landed hard, as a d6 showed a 6 turned 9. The goblin was cut shoulder to waist in a flash of green before it vanished, heralding its end.

The hobgoblins saw that their usual troops weren't getting the job done. With their weapons drawn, they advanced on the party, a calmer, more disciplined desire to kill in their eyes. Three of them hopped to the front, looking to take up the fight with the three melee adventurers while the fourth began to advance on Medea, knowing she was the physically weakest of the group.

"Die!" one hobgoblin roared, slashing at Dorn. It rolled a total of 13, not enough for a hit and Dorn used his Ranger reflexes to avoid being struck. The second Hobgoblin aimed for Kathra, rolling a 9, but she blocked the blow with her swords, making the hobgoblin grunt in frustration as it pulled back for another strike.

The third hobgoblin attempted to stab Rael, it's roll resulting in a 17 which allowed the blow to land. Rael grunted as the blade slashed deeply into his side, resulting in 7 damage for him.

The last hobgoblin did not get close enough to attack Medea, although it was a near thing, standing just outside of the range of its sword.

"I'm getting tired of this!" Kathra snarled, taking the fight to her hobgoblin opponent. She lashed out at it, using her swortswords. Her die landed on a natural 20, causing it to flash brightly and coat her sword with blue aura as she made her attack. Two d6 rolled, combined with the boost, resulted in 10 damage. Her sword came down and dug deep into the hobgoblin's torso in a flash of blue that made it roar in pain.

With her second attack, Kathra lunged with her other sword, letting another attack roll fly. Her attack landed on a 19, flashing as her d6 rolled, landing on a total of 5. The sword stabbed deep into the hobgoblin's chest, making it cry out before it exploded into blue motes of light, much to Kathra's delight.

More goblins shouted in the towers before arrows rained down on the three melee adventurers. Kathra dodged her attacker as it rolled a total of 6. Dorn likewise dodged his own incoming arrow which rolled an 8. Rael managed it like his friends when the goblins rolled a 7, making goblin curse words turn the air blue around the towers.

Rael frowned at his hobgoblin opponent, gripping his sword before he slashed at his opponent. His d20 was good to him, showing a 16 which turned to a 22, more than enough for a strike. His d10 rolled, showing a 0, which on that particular dice, meant a 10. His attack modifier turned it to a 14 which had him cut through the hobgoblin's crude armor like tinfoil, ending it in a flash of yellow.

Medea watched her opponent and knew its next turn it would try to attack her up close where she was weakest. She had to either get away or put the hobgoblin down before that happened. Having a spell in mind, she maneuvered to her left so to keep her friends out of harm's way. The hobgoblin tensed, preparing to lunge, but Medea didn't need to move far before she rest her Staff of Defense on her shoulder and lifted her hands.

"_Burning Hands! Second Level!_" At her words, flames leaped from her fingertips, more powerful than the last time she cast the spell, and burned through the air towards the hobgoblin. A red d20 fell, representing a Dexterity Saving Throw for the hobgoblin, although it failed as it landed on a total of 5. The hobgoblin was engulfed with the flames as it screamed. Four purple d6 landed at Medea's feet, creating a total of 18, which had the hobgoblin explode into purple light before the flames vanished.

"Wasn't so hard after all," Medea huffed, short on breath from using the spell.

Dorn gripped his blades, again wishing he could use his bow but didn't have much help for it. Eying the hobgoblin attempting to kill him, he lashed out with his blades to slash at it. His d20 landed on an 18, turning to a 23, allowing the blow to land. His d6 landed on a 6, turning to a 9, allowing his blade to sink deeply into the hobgoblin's torso, despite it's attempts to block.

As it bellowed in pain, Dorn took the opportunity to strike a second time, rolling his d20 again. His roll landed on a 20, making his sword shine green as he stabbed it deeply into the hobgoblin's chest. Two d6 declared 4 damage dealt, which was enough as the hobgoblin exploded into green light.

"Kill! Kill! Don't let them in!" one of the goblin archers shouted from their murder holes.

"Time to make some precision work!" Kathra grinned, drawing her longbow again. Moving to her left for one of the murder holes, she raised her bow and took careful aim. Her d20 landed on a 15, turning to a 20, letting the arrow fly into the murder hole where a goblin shreeched as it was hit. A d8 revealed an 8, which turned to an 11, revealing a flash of blue as the goblin died.

"Die! Die!" a goblin shouted as one in each tower took aim at the adventurers and fired an arrow. The first goblin's die revealed a 5 turned 9 as it's arrow flew at Rael. The wood elf sidestepped the attack with ease. The second goblin took a shot at Medea, rolling a 15 turned 19.

"_Shield!_" Medea declared, tapping her staff on the ground, prompting her magical barrier to rise in her defense. The arrow bouched off, leaving her unharmed although the glow from her staff dimmed slightly.

"I'm getting sick of this," Rael huffed before he took out his own longbow and loaded an arrow, moving to take aim at the left murder hole for the goblin inside. He narrowed his eyes before he let the arrow fly. A d20 declared an 18 turned 22 as the arrow sailed through the slit and struck the goblin inside. His d8 rolled a 5, turning to a 7 which was just enough to end the goblin with a flash of yellow.

As Medea turned to the last tower, a cry came from within, "Okay! I give up! Lemme alone! I run! I run!" A sound of something being pushed sounded from within the tower before a goblin appeared at the entrance a few moments later, "See? I have no weapons! I give up!"

"Fine then," Medea nodded as she and the others lowered their weapons, "Now get out of here."

The goblin nodded rapidly and took off running for the forest, leaving the party to the victory of their battle and the spoils left behind. The total coinage amounted to 5 platinum pieces, 15 gold pieces, 17 silver pieces, and 45 copper pieces. After separating the loot, they walked into the first room of the ruined castle.

"So, any ideas?" asked Dorn, looking around. He could see doorways to the left, right, and straight ahead. Part of the wall to the south, their right, was collapsed and nothing more than rubble, leaving an obscured view into the room behind it.

"I think we should check for traps," Rael offered, keeping his eyes on the doors. "Remember the traps we found on the way to that cave?"

"Good idea," Kathra nodded. "I'll check the right passage."

"Left for me," Rael agreed.

"I'll take the straight one here," Dorn offered.

The three went to their chosen hallways and performed a perception check. Rael rolled a total of 9 and didn't see anything. Kathra took 6 and likewise didn't notice anything amiss. Dorn rolled a total of 20 and immediately noticed a copper tripwire across the floor connected to the ceiling.

"Yeah, not this way. It's boobytrapped," Dorn warned, backing away from the passage while pointing out the tripwire. "See it? It's hidden in the dust and rubble, but when the light hits it, you can see it."

"Okay, glad we missed that," Medea winced, alreay guessing that the tripwire would bring the ceiling down on them. As the group took notice of the trap, a trio of d10s rolled to their feet, revealing the numbers 1-0-0 before they vanished in sparkles of light.

"More XP. Nice," Kathra grinned. "Okay, left or right? Hobgoblins came from the left while the goblins came from the right. Hobgoblins are higher in the hierarchy so we might find Grol in that direction."

"I say left," Dorn offered.

"Agreed," Medea nodded.

"Unanimous then," Rael agreed.

The party moved to the left where the door was partially open from the hobgoblins coming out to fight them. Seeing nothing alive, they stepped inside to see what was to be found. A quick check saw old wooden casks and sacks of a foul-smelling substance piled up in the corners of the room. A few things which did stand out was a bloody suit if chain mail, a heavy crossbow, and a longsword which was unsheathed with the emblem of Neverwinter on it.

"Kind of fancy for the stuff the goblins have been stealing," Dorn muttered, seeing the weapons.

Medea stepped closer to the items and frowned. She pondered seeing the emblem and decided to roll an _Intelligence_ check. Getting a 14 total, it suddenly hit her. "Hey, you don't see many people from Neverwinter around Phandalin. Who do we know got jumped by the goblins, lost their gear, and came from Neverwinter?"

"Just...oh, you think it's Sildar's stuff?" asked Kathra.

"I'd bet on it," Medea nodded, picking up the sword and chain mail to place in her pack. "We might get a reward for returning them, or at least some XP for it."

"Nothing really good here," Rael wrinkled his nose as he examined the other crates, "It's food and grain, but all of it is spoiled. Can't even use the salted meat because it's so old."

"So we got nothing here," Kathra huffed. Looking around, she eyed a room to the left which was opened, allowing the group to see inside. She eyed the surroundings, seeing some messy pallets, likely something for hobgoblins to sleep on. A number of weapons were hanging on the walls, amounting to spears, morningstars, greatswords, and even a quarterstaff.

"Anyone want some new weapons?" asked Kathra, turning to her friends. "The hobgoblins gave us a bunch to choose from!"

The group turned to where Kathra was pointing and they approached the room the hobgoblins were using. They all took note of the weapons on the walls. Kathra turned the weapons down since she liked what she had. Dorn and Rael both took a greatsword for themselves. Rael packed away his mace in order to have room for it while Dorn felt he needed the extra sword strength since his specialty was in archery. The other weapons were left behind since they were not something the adventurers specialized in or felt would be useful.

With the hobgoblin room raided, the group approached the only other way out of the room, a doorway leading east. Dorn took the handle of the door before gently opening it, peering inside.

The room seemed to be an altar room of some kind. However, the main altar was covered by a bloodstained black cloth while in front of it were a golden knife, censer, and a chalice meant for rituals. In front of the altar were three goblins wearing filthy robes which mocked the appearance of priestly robes. They were kneeling and muttering goblin prayers to the covered statue.

"Surprise?" whispered Medea to her friends.

Dorn nodded and drew his bow. Notching an arrow, he decided to take aim at the goblin leading the prayers. Controlling his breathing, he pulled back the string before he let the arrow fly, his d20 rolling on the stone floor. It revealed a 17, turning to a 24, a guaranteed hit. His d8 rolled a 5 turned 8, letting the arrow sink into the goblin's torso, making it shriek in surprised pain.

"Surprise bitches!" Kathra yelled as the initiative was cast.

Initiative had Dorn going first, so he quickly drew another arrow before firing it at the goblin he had first shot at. His d20 showed a 9 turned 16. It was another hit as his d8 rolled a 3 which became a 6. The arrow planted itself in the neck of the goblin, making it choke before it burst into green motes of light.

Kathra brushed past the Ranger and moved for the first of the two goblins in her range. She whipped out her two swords before she slashed at the surprised goblin. Her first attack rolled a 14 turned 19, another fine strike. The resulting d6 showed a 4, which became a 9, letting her lob the goblin's head off and let the body vanish in a flash of blue.

Rael followed behind her, deciding to test out his new greatsword. Drawing it, he moved to strike at the last goblin, letting his d20 fly. The total result was a 17, letting the sword crashing down on the goblin. The two d6 flew and the modified result showed a 10, letting the goblin be split down the middle as it flashed yellow and disappeared.

"Nice and neat. For once, none of us got hurt," Medea smiled as she walked into the room. She glanced at the covered altar and pulled the cloth off, revealing a stone altar which had the images of numerous deities on it. Medea was no cleric, so she didn't immediately know who the gods were, but she wasn't interested in examining the altar closer in any case.

"So now we divide spoils," Kathra grinned, eying the money pouches left behind in the goblins' demise.

The goblins proved to at least be considered important enough to have some cash. It amounted to 12 copper pieces, 12 gold pieces, and 3 platinum pieces which the group happily split. Once the money was split, the group looked to the golden implements on the altar. Being made of gold, they were obviously going to be worth money, so the group decided to roll for who got the items.

The first rolled for the golden chalice, which to them seemed like the most valuable piece. Rael whooped when he turned out to be the lucky winner of that roll. Dorn managed to win the knife in the second roll. Finally, Kathra won the censure for the third roll, happily placing it in her pack. Medea got a little pouty for missing out on the platinum and the gold items, needless to say.

Once the spoils were collected, the party looked for other ways out of the room. The only was in or out aside from the storeroom was a pair of curtains which hung in the southern portion of the altar room. Rael stepped forward and pushed one curtain open, revealing a pitch-black room.

"Aw man," Dorn groaned. "Why'd I have to pick to be a human?"

"Relax. We'll cover for you. We can just open the curtains to add some light," Medea reassured him.

Rael opened one curtain and pushed it aside while Medea courteously opened the other before the group entered the room. Inside they could see that the room used to serve as a kind of chapel, hosting the same images and symbols that the altar room did. The masonry was broken and the room was absolutely filthy though, proving that it hadn't been used in some time before the goblins moved in.

"See anything interesting?" asked Kathra, looking around.

"I can barely see anything!" Dorn huffed, feeling more than a little twitchy in the dark.

"All I see is a brazier over here," Rael reported, finding said brazier between the two archways in the room. He casually poked around in the coal, idly wondering if they could use it to light up the room when he felt something metallic inside. Poking around, he was surprised to discover an item wrapped in a crimson cloth. Taking it out, he unwrapped it to find a gold statuette of an elf. Grinning, he pocketed the item while his friends were examining other portions of the room.

Kathra was looking at a collapsed wall, wondering if there was a chance the group could sneak through it, but the rubble was too large and they'd kick up a lot of noise when they had a perfectly good door at the far end of the room. She turned to rejoin her friends when she heard it, a drip like water and a very faint hiss. Kathra's ears perked up at the noise and she looked to the ceiling. At first she didn't see anything, but when she peered closer, she saw something move. With a whip-like crack, a tentacle with a clawed tip lashed out at her.

"Woah!" Kathra shouted, leaping out of the way with her cry of fright. Rolling along the floor, she got back up and shouted, "We've got company!"

Her words snapped her friends to attention and they drew their weapons, ready to face off against whatever attacked their friend. From an alcove in the corner of the room a large worm-like body slithered down before lifting its head, revealing a beak mouth with four tentacles coming out from around it. The monster gave a shrieking hiss as it prepared to advance on Kathra.

"Oh gross!" Medea gagged at the sight.

"Initiative!" Kathra shouted, keeping her cool despite being just as disgusted as her friend. The dice flew, giving the adventurers an advantage as they were all able to move first before the creature, a grick, they would later recollect.

Dorn was quick to draw his bow. With the current angle, himself being near the fae entrance, he was able to see the grick, although if it retreated further into the darkness, it would be harder to see. Not wanting to waste a chance to use his best, he leaded an arrow before letting it fly at the grick.

The arrow flew, but the die landed on a three, boosting to an 10. The arrow missed as the grick moved, the darkness partially concealing it still.

"Shit!" Dorn hissed, angry at the miss.

"I have this!" Medea quickly began her own move. She was at the far end of the room as she had been following the carvings. She moved up within range and pointed out her hand, "_Ray of Frost!_" The cold beam of energy flew, along with her d20, revealing a 16 which turned to a 22, allowing the beam to crash against the grick, making it shriek in pain. Her d8 rolled, but only revealed the damage had done a measly 3, covering the grick in a layer of frost.

"HRAAAH!" Rael roared, drawing his greatsword again and charging at the writhing grick. The monster hissed and turned to him with its tentacles preparing to lash out as he got closer. Rael didn't stop and slashed with his sword, letting his d20 roll. His dice landed on a 19, turning to a 24. His sword came down hard on the grick, making it shriek as the blade pressed down into its rubbery hide and drawing some blood.

His two d6 rolled, revealing a total of 9 before the modifier changed it to a 12. Rael grinned as he drew his sword back, but then frowned when the dice shook and the 12 was suddenly cut in half to a 6. The grick reflected that as it's boneless hide bounced back from the wound, showing it was not nearly as serious as impact made it seem.

"It has resistance!" Rael shouted. "Physical, I think!"

"Then use magic attacks and weapons if you can!" Dorn shouted back.

"I should have picked Eldritch Knight!" Kathra hissed as she launched her two attacks. Her first roll revealed a 2 modified to a 7. The lashed out, but the grick avoided the attack with a hiss. Kathra's second attack totaled an 18, allowing the blow to land. It totaled a 9, but was cut in half and rounded down to a 4.

The grick screeched and lashed out at Kathra with another tentacle. The dwarf's eyes were on the red d20 which came with the tentacle. The die landed on a 19 turned 24, allowing the strike against Kathra's torso. Thinking fast, Kathra lifted her swords and cried out for one of her Maneuvers, "_Parry!_" The tentacle crashed against her torso, also she managed to slow the attack down as she shielded herself with her swords.

"GUH!" Kathra hissed as the wind was knocked from her lungs. Two d6 fell from the strike, showing 4 and 6, before they both increased by one to total 12. As those d6 dice fell, a blue d8 fell from Kathra, one of her Superiority Dice which came with the Battle Master archetype she chose. The die landed on a 2 turned 5, causing the result from the d6s to lower to 7.

"Kathra! It's attacking again!" Medea shouted, making the dwarf look up as the grick lashed out with its beak to try and bite her. The d20 flew again, landing on an 8 turned 12, which allowed Kathra to dodge the attack by ducking back.

"It has the multiattack feat too?!" Rael gasped. "How did the goblins keep this thing under control?!"

"Don't know! Don't care!" Dorn raised his bow. He wanted to cast Hail of Thorns, but if he did it now, he'd just hit Rael and Kathra with it. Recluctantly, he drew another arrow and aimed it at the grick again before launching another arrow.

This time, his d20 was more accepting, landing on an 18 turned 25. The arrow flew and impacted against the grick's flabby hide, making it snarl from the impact. His d8 rolled a total of 10, but it was cut in half to a 5.

Rael quickly sheathed his greatsword and instead drew Talon again. Gripping the blade in both hands, he slashed at the grick a second time. His d20 showed an 18, turning to a 24 for a solid strike. The damage from the sword totalled 12, letting Talon cut through the grick's body. This severed the head from the rest, both ends glowing a mix of colors before exploding into motes of light, ending the battle.

"Ow, ow, ow,' Kathra groaned, rubbing her chest.

"Let me," Rael offered, walking to his dwarf friend and placing his hands on her glowing chest, "_Lay on Hands. 10 Points._" Light covered the area, restoring a total of 10 points of health.

"Thanks," Kathra sighed, feeling better. "But how random was that? Something like that should be in the Underdark or something!"

"Yeah, but somehow the goblins brought it here. It's dead anyway," Dorn shrugged. Searching the area, he managed to recover at least one arrow. "So, we go to the east? If we go west, we'll walk into that trap the goblins set in the main hall."

He received no arguments as the group headed east. They first checked the door before slowly opening it and stepping into the hall. Aside from some collapsed ceilings which covered the ground and some walls, there was nothing to note. There were three passages, one to their right which split off back west and one which went south, likely leading outside. Another went north, ending at a curtain, The last wetn further east, stopping at another door.

"Any suggestions?" asked Medea.

"I say keep going the way we have, see more of the castle that way," Kathra shrugged.

"Don't have much of an idea myself," Rael nodded.

"So we go ahead," Dorn sighed.

The group did that, approaching the door. Dorn waved his friends down and pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear for anything. Frowning, since he wasn't sure if he was hearing something, he pulled out his d20 and rolled for a Perception Check. The die landed on a 16, which was further modified to a 21. The die flashed and Dorn grinned listening again.

"_Hope that damn woman leaves already. Gives me the creeps she does._"

"_Quit yer blubbering. She'll be gone and we'll be having a nice pile of loot for it._"

Dorn leaned back and looked to his friends, "Two of them in there. We'll have to hit hard and fast on the both of them. If we can take them down, we might be able to keep them from sounding some kind of alarm."

"Okay so...we storm in and smash them?" asked Rael.

"Hard and fast," Kathra grinned.

"You two first," Medea deadpanned. "Dorn and I will move to make sure they don't run away."

"Okay. Time for the fun stuff again," Rael nodded. "Ready Kathra?"

"Ready," the dwarf grinned, unsheathing her swords.

"Okay, one...two...three!" Rael slammed open the door with Kathra right behind him. Dorn and Medea both stepped through the door, taking opposite sides of it as the two frontline fighters charged for the hobgoblins. "Initiative!"

Inside the room, two hobgoblins jerked up from where they stood across and to the right of the door, eyes wide with surprise at what had just happened. Dice flew, giving the first turn to Medea with Dorn and Kathra following her. The hobgoblins had the fourth turn, but with their surprise, they would not be able to do anything. Rael had the last turn out of all of them.

Medea threw up her hand, pointing it at the hobgoblin on the left and crying out, "_Ray of Frost!_" The beam flew as her dice dropped to the floor. The dice landed on a natural 20, making the die shine and the beam grow larger and more powerful. Two d8 flew, totalling a 5 as the icy beam crashed into the hobgoblin, making it cry out in pain, covering it in frost.

Dorn drew an arrow again and took aim at the hobgoblin on the right and dipping into his magic, "_Hail of Thorns!_" His d20 landed on a 14 turned 21 for a guaranteed hit. Dorn unleashed the arrow and let it fly at his target. The arrow flashed before it burst into dozens of thorns which flew from the shaft of the arrow. The arrow hit the hobgoblin, making it grunt as it took a nearly killing blow close to the neck. A d8 revealed a 7 turned 10. The thorns then flew at the pair of them. Red dice dropped from the hobgoblins, indicating a Saving Throw in progress. Both revealed a 3 and a 4, meaning a failure as both hobgoblins were impaled with the thorns. Both were impaled in numerous vital spots, making them slump over and vanish in green or purple light. At Dorn's feet, a d10 rest while showing a 9, showing how much damage was dealt, making it overkill to an extent.

"Sure, take all the fun," Kathra huffed, sheathing her swords. "Just for that, Rael and I should get all the gold."

"Oh no, we split it evenly," Medea retorted. "That's how we always work in adventures."

"Fine, fine," the dwarf grumped.

The spoils turned out to be 12 gold pieces and 16 silver pieces along with the gear the hobgoblins had. It allowed the members who used arrows to restock what they had. Splitting the gold and silver, they examined the room for anything else, but came up with nothing. The north end of the room had an exit blocked by a curtain while the south end had a proper door. However, the door was barred, meaning whatever was inside wasn't supposed to get out.

"So, the door?" asked Dorn, pointing to it. "I mean, important things are kept behind locked doors, not curtains."

"It might be where they're holding Gundren," Rael nodded.

"Makes sense, although they did keep that tentacle thing behind curtains," Medea answered.

Dorn approached the door and leaned in, rolling for another Perception Check. It totalled a 22, allowing him to hear heavy breathing from something that didn't sound humanoid. Frowning, he looked to his friends again, "Let's get out of the way of the door. Keep your weapons out in case something tries to attack us."

His friends nodded and drew their weapons, hugging the wall beside the door. Kathra even climbed up on some rubble with her swords out just to keep out of the way. Licking his lips, Dorn lifted the bar on the door before he grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.

A shrieking growl came from inside the room. Dorn gripped his greatsword as he released the door, waiting for what would come next. None of the group had to wait long before a mass of fur and feathers in the shape of a bear with an owl's head lumbered out of the room, running down the hall. It passed by the curtain and disappeared from view; it's padding footsteps growing fainter.

"What...was that?" asked Kathra, blinking.

"And owlbear, I think," Dorn sighed in relief. Sheathing his sword, he stopped when the clacking of dice on stone could be heard. At the feet of the adventurers, three d10s appeared, rolling out the numbers 7-0-0.

"700 XP split between us for letting that owlbear go?" asked Medea. "Seems like a big reward."

"It's standard for beating one," Dorn shrugged. "Anyway, let's check out the room already. Maybe it has something good in it."

The room itself was actually dark, making Dorn curse at his limited sight once again. His friends had no such problem, seeing around them dust, rubble and broken glass. The only furnishing were some shelves filled with books and old workstations. Above them, the upper levels of the tower had collapsed, showing it was now a hollow silo.

"Okay, so what do we look for?" asked Medea.

"Investigate, or Perception. Pick one," Dorn answered. "Investigate certain things if you want to be specific or use Perception to just get a general idea of things."

"Fine," Medea nodded. Looking around the room, she removed her d20 and tossed it, "Perception." The die clacked on the ground, rolling to a 12 with no modifier. It then faded and Medea shook her head. "I have nothing."

"Lemme try," Dorn suggested. "Could you light it up a little in here Medea?" The half-elf nodded and lifted her arcane focus, letting it shine brightly, filling the room with light. The _Light_ spell was handy that way.

"Perception Check," Dorn announced, tossing his own d20. It revealed a modified total of 22. Immediately, Dorn scanned his surroundings before he saw a ledge from the second floor attached to some stairs in the back of the room. It looked normal at first, but on a second look, Dorn saw the corner of a box or chest from his angle.

"There," Dorn announced, pointing to the ledge. "Something's up there." He trotted over to the stairs and carefully climbed up them. The stairs themselves were solid, allowing the Ranger to reach the top of them where the chest was set, apparently placed as a secret. He grabbed the box and headed back down. It was moderately heavy and Dorn was ready to set it down.

"Treasure, treasure, treasure!" Kathra grinned, rubbing her hands together.

"Let's see what's inside," Dorn nodded, finding the lid unlocked as he swung it open.

Inside the box was a number of items. One was a sack filled with coins, Also in it was a familiar vial filled with red fluid, a Potion of Healing. Also inside were two scrolls inside of leather cases. Medea took the scrolls and spread them out to read them. An Arcana Check for both, which was laughably easy compared to other checks, revealed the scrolls to be the spells _Silence_ and _Revivify. _The _Silence_ spell would create an area of absolute silence where no one could speak or hear, making it perfect for stealth and keeping spellcasters from using spells that requires speaking. The other would revive someone who died recently. Considering how bad some fights could go, it was an important spell. Neither of them were spells Medea could copy, making the scrolls incredibly important. Again, as the primary magic user of the group, Medea got the scrolls while Dorn rolled a d4 and earned the right for the Potion of Healing.

Inside the bag was a pile of coinage, resulting in 90 electrum pieces and 120 gold pieces. It was a welcome sight for the group as they split the rewards. Once those were collected, Kathra and Rael investigated the shelves and workstations, but they found nothing of interest. The tools and projects were long gone and the books were rotten or of no interest.

The room thoroughly searched, the group exited and headed to the north end, brushing the curtain on the far end. The door on their left was open, likely from where the owlbear had pushed through to escape. Apparently the door was already open since the owlbear would have broken it already. Since there was no roaring or sounds of violence, it was assumed an exit was nearby for the owlbear to escape from.

Dorn crept up to the door, keeping his moves as quiet as he could before reaching it. He rolled his d20 for another Perception Check, rolling a 14 total before pressing his ears to the door.

"_I gave you the dwarf! You want the map, you pay up!_"

Dorn strained his ears, but he was sure he could hear a softer voice talking to the bellowing one. However, it was soft enough that he couldn't hear exactly what they were saying.

"_I know this is a map to a mine. You want it so bad, some gold and gems isn't much. You'll find loads more in that mine probably!_"

Dorn leaned back and nodded to his friends. Not wanting to screw up, he didn't try speaking. Instead, he gestured them to come up to the door. He pat Kathra and Rael on the shoulders, letting them lead the charge into the room so they could surprise the people inside.

Rael and Kathra got to the door with the paladin gripping the handle. Rael nodded to his friends who gave the confirmation back to him. The wood elf gave a mental countdown before he gripped the handle and slammed the door open, "For Rillifane!"

The door slammed open and inside caused both parties to jump in surprise. On one side of a table to the door's right was a big and slightly crusty-looking bugbear. At its side was a truly nasty-looking wolf which began to snarl as it was caught by surprise. Opposite of the pair was a drow woman, one of the dark elves with black skin and long white hair dressed in traveling garb. Both were stunned by the sudden intrusion.

More importantly, in the southwest corner, far to the right of where the party was storming in, was a dwarf laying slumped in a heap, battered and bruised. In fact, it was hard to tell if he was alive or not.

"Gundren!" Medea gasped in horror at their ally.

"Initiative!" Kathra shouted, gritting her teeth, outraged to see a fellow dwarf so battered and bruised.

Dice flew, clattering on the ground, including three red ones, one for each of the different enemies creatures in the room. The wolf rolled the highest at a 20 while Rael, Dorn, Medea, and Kathra took the next four spots. The drow and the the bugbear who they group assumed was Grol took up the lead.

"Medea, you and me guard Gundren! Everyone else, fuck them up!" Dorn shouted.

With surprise on their side, the group was able to skip their enemies and move without consequence. It was an opportunity which Rael took as he ran for around the table and lunged for Grol. His took hold of his greatsword and swung hard at the vicious bugbear. His d20 rolled a total of fifteen, which wasn't a bad roll. Grol grunted and lifted a shield which he had kept strapped to his arm and blocked the blow with a loud crash, making both of them grunt.

Dorn took a run towards the downed dwarf, spinning around to draw his longbow and put a bead on the wolf that was at Grol's side. Knowing that the wolf had its Pack Tactics ability. Drawing back an arrow, he took aim at the snarling wolf before taking his shot.

His d20 flew and clattered as the arrow was released. The dice showed a 9, but his modifier with his bow raised it to a 16 which equaled a hit. The d8 flew as the arrow struck the wolf's flank, showing a modified total of 8. The wolf yelped as the arrow stuck in it, making the wound glow red with the impact.

Medea followed Dorn, taking up beside the Ranger, keeping themselves between Gundren and the other creatures in the room. Looking at her options, she lifted her hand and aimed it at the bugbear. Fortunately, Rael had the sense to have gone around the long way, letting Medea have a clear range.

"_Ray of Frost!_" she announced, invoking her spell. The d20 for the attack rolled a 19, raised to a 25 before the beam crashed into the bugbear with a cry of pain. The dice was on Medea's side as it did a full 8 damage to the bugbear, also limiting his movement for his next turn.

Kathra moved towards the drow, keeping her well in sight, "We just want the dwarf. You pick up and leave and we don't have a problem."

The drow frowned at Kathra as if in thought before she drew her shortsword, "I cannot allow anyone to know about Wave Echo Cave. I came to kill a dwarf but I'll have to make room for you four as well."

"Ah fuck," Kathra frowned, but lunged at the drow woman with her shortswords. Her first roll dropped short, letting the drow woman block and parry the blow. She then swung with her second strike, only getting a 10 which had the woman parry the attack a second time. Her insufferable smirk just made Kathra angrier.

The wolf snarled and snapped at Rael, launching a pair of d20's in the process. It's Pack Tactics ability kicking in since it was right next to Grol when it attacked. The two dice landed on an 8 and a 5 with the 8 becoming a 12. Fortunately, the attack still wasn't enough and Rael was able to step out of the way.

Rael huffed and swung at Grol a second time, hoping his dice would be better than the previous attack. His prayer was heard as his d20 landed on a 19 turned 24. The greatsword came crashing down on the bugbear, cutting a gash across its torso. He was especially blessed when he rolled double sixes of all things. With the modifier, it was a total of 15. The result was a deep red glowing gash cut into the bugbear's torso, making it roar in pain.

Dorn drew another arrow, aiming for the wolf again. His d20 flew and only rolled a 2. Even his own modifier which turned it to a 9 wasn't enough as the arrow flew over the wolf, embedding itself in the table.

"Come on," Dorn hissed.

"Let me try," Medea offered, "_Ray of Frost!_" The beam of cold burst through the air with a d20 revealing a total of 17. The beam crashed against the wolf, making it yelp as frost covered it's fur. A d8 showed it was only 3 damage, but three steps closer to taking down the mutt.

Kathra grit her teeth and lunged at the drow woman a second time, lashing out with both swords in flashes of steel. Her first roll landed on an 11 turned 16, allowing her to strike at the drow's torso, dealing 6 damage with a glowing red slash across the drow's chest.

"Ha!" Kathra laughed before she made her second attack. Her roll was on her side again, showing a 14 turning to a 19. The sword slashed across the drow's body a second time, with a d6 dropping to show a total of 8 damage.

The drow grunted in pain before she scowled at Kathra and lashed out with her sword. Her dice roll went low, starting at 2 and only became a 6. Kathra dodged it easily. As she prepared to mock the dark elf, the woman lashed out with a second attack. Her dice roll was much higher, totalling a 21 with modifiers. The sword cut across Kathra's torso, making the redheaded dwarf cry out in pain. The d6 landed, boosting from 3 to 7 as Kathra grasped at her chest.

"A stumpy dwarf should know better than to mouth off at her superiors," the drow smirked.

"Bitch!" Kathra grit her teeth to control the pain.

"No one attacks Grol!" the bugbear roared, lifting its morningstar from its side and swinging savagely at Rael. The dice rolled, showing a total of 13, which banged off of Rael's armor, but didn't pierce it or do him any harm besides feeling an impact.

The wolf followed up after its master, snapping at Rael's legs again. The first dice was a 2, but the second totalled at 22 which had the fangs dig into his flesh, red light shining from its teeth. Rael grit his teeth as the wolf yanked at his legs, attempting to knock him down. Rael kicked his leg, causing a d20 of his own to drop, rolling to show a 4 turning to a 7. The wolf snarled and with a yank, Rael fell onto his back, prone. Next to him, a pair of d4 showed a total of 5 damage.

Rael grunted and forced himself to his feet despuite the wolf trying to keep getting at his legs. Grunting, he ignored the wolf as best he could and lashed out with his sword. His d20 went with it, but landed on a 1. The wolf made a yank at his leg at the right moment and Rael stumbled, missing Grol quite clearly.

"Good boy Snarl," Grol laughed. "You get first pick of this one's meat when we kill him!"

"Oh no you don't!" Dorn shouted with another arrow. Taking aim at the wolf on his friend's leg, he fired it for the wolf's neck. His dice showed a 15, becoming a 22 and the arrow struck. The d8 revealed a 7, turning to a 10 before the arrow lodged directly into the wolf's neck. The creature gagged before collapsing as its body vanished into purple and green.

"Snarl!" Grol raged in fury over his pet being killed. His eyes turned to where Medea and Dorn stood. "I'll turn your skills to pulp for this!"

"As if you've got the guts," Medea scoffed. "_Magic Missile!_" Three purple darts of magic power shot through the air before crashing into Grol, making the bugbear leader cry out in pain. Three d4s dropped at Medea's feet, revealing a 3, 4, and another 4. All three numbers were boosted one higher, making a total of 13 damage to Grol. It showed as three burned spots in the bugbear's chest smoked from the impacts.

Kathra huffed and knew she was dealing with a tough opponent. Still, she wasn't going to get complacent. She took up her swords and lunged for the drow woman once again. Her first sword's strike was true with a roll of 18 turned 23. Another slash was cut across the drow's torso, making her cry out in pain. A dice roll determined another 6 damage was dealt.

"Who's superior now?" Kathra grinned as she lashed out with her second attack. Her sword flashed and dice flew, this time showing a natural 20. Kathra's sword lit up in shining blue light as she cut deeply into the drow's torso, making her scream. Two d6 flew as the sword struck, making for a grand total of 13, dealing a deep wound to the drow's torso.

"Wh-what?!" the drow gasped, stumbling back from the wound on her chest. Looking down, her entire form rippled slightly to a dark blue, making Kathra blink.

"What the-?" the dwarf frowned.

Grol's roar echoed through the room as he swung at Rael again. His d20 flew with his weapon, rolling onto an 8, becoming a 12. Not high enough to hit and Rael ducked underneath the blow as he gripped is sword to take his own shot at the leader of the goblins.

"Take this!" Rael roared, swinging with his greatsword. His d20 rolled is fate, showing a 15 which turned to a 20. Rael swung his sword as his two d6s rolled, revealing a 6 and a 3, totalling 9 which turned to a 12. The die landed as Rael's sword struck, beheading Grol in a flash of red before his body exploded into motes of yellow and purple light.

The drow woman's eyes narrowed as she witness Grol dying before she turned to glance at Kathra again with a frown on her face. Dorn didn't give her the chance to try and use any of her plans. Drawing another arrow, he took aim at the drow and fired at her with prejudice. His d20 dropped, showing a 7 which became a 14, just enough for a hit. The arrow flew true, striking the drow's shoulder. The d8 only showed a 2 turned 5, but it was still a hit.

Medea didn't miss her chance either. Moving forward, she lifted her hand and invoked another spell. "_Ray of Frost!_" The dice fell, landing on a 5, turned 11, which wasn't enough to strike. The drow ducked under the attack, letting to crash into the far wall and cover it in frost.

"Tsk!" Medea grit her teeth.

"My turn!" Kathra roared, lunging for the drow once again. Her dice rolled, landing on a 13 which boosted to a 18. Her sword flashed, slashing the drow's torso again, a following d6 showed a 1, turned to a 4, dealing that much damage. The drow grimaced at the light attack as Kathra moved to finish the job, rolling for her second strike.

The dice flew and clattered as Kathra made her lunge. A 14 turned 19 was the result with a d6 showing a 2 turned 5. The cut landed again across the patchwork of glowing red on the drow, bringing her closer to her death. The drow grunted, eyeing the group before she turned and abruptly began running away.

"Oh now you don't!" Kathra shouted, struggling to try one last attack. Sadly, as she used her bonus action, she was unable to use an attack of opportunity.

But Rael had nod. In the confined quarters of the room, the drow just stepped into his range, letting him attack. His dice rolled a 12, letting it turn to a 17 which let him cut the blade across the drow's back, letting her drop to the ground in a heap. The drow groaned, but lifted herself up, pulling something out of her top. It unfurled, showing it was a scroll which she pointed across the room, "_S-Scorching Ray…_"

The scroll ignited and three fireball were launched across the room. Rather than strike at the party, the flames were pointed at where a cot was set up, somewhat cleaner than the others. The bed was instantly set ablaze as the drow woman smirked before collapsing. Her form rippled and faded before her clothing, aside from her equipment, and even her features vanished to reveal a genderless dark blue humanoid with round yellow eyes. It remained for a moment before vanishing into blue and green light.

"A doppelganger?" Kathra gasped, remembering the creature from the Monster Manual.

"Help me with the bed!" Rael shouted, running for the bed. He grabbed the burning cot and tossed it aside. Underneath was a leather satchel which provided no protection as it was also on fire. Rael grimaced and kicked it to try and put the fire out. The bag split open, spilling coins across the floor and some vials. With the contents was a sheet of parchment which already caught fire, burning rapidly thanks to the magical fire. From a brief glance, it looked like a map, but that was all Rael could see before it blackened and burned.

"Damn," the wood elf frowned.

"What was what about?" asked Medea.

"I remembered one of Dorn's old adventures," Rael sighed, turning and approaching his friends. "Remember when we were fighting that cult? When we beat the boss there, he tried to blow up some of his stuff to keep us from getting some of his special relics and a clue on to where to go next."

"So when she blew up the bed, you figured there had to be something there," Kathra nodded. "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"You have to ask?" Medea frowned. "Let's help Gundren and let's get out of here!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Dorn agreed.

"Then let's get our swag and get going!" Kathra nodded. "Notice how there's Potions of Healing in there?"

While Medea fussed over Gundren, the others collected the spilled contents of Grol's stash. The contents amounted to three Potions of Healing, 220 silver pieces, and 160 pieces. A wealthy stash for any stretch of the mind. Once the spoils were taken, Rael and Dorn helped pick Gundren up with grunts as they helped move him.

"Man, what do dwarves eat?" Dorn grunted as he and Rael moved the dwarf along.

"Anything we want," Kathra laughed. "Now come on."

The group travelled through the castle, tracing their steps back to the hall outside the dark hallway they fought the grick in. They turned to the south and came to the far door. As they passed a turn in the hall, they heard grunts and shouts from goblins, yelling about cooking food.

"How did they not hear us fighting?" asked Medea.

"Probably did. Goblins fight each other all the time," Dorn explained. "So often, they usually just ignore the sounds of fighting. Unless one of their own screams about intruders or someone they can all fight against, they're going to ignore it."

"Works in our favor," Rael huffed. "Now let's go before they see us!"

They reached the door and unlocked it, pushing the door before heading outside, letting the sun wash over them properly. They didn't want to be around the castle when someone saw that Grol was gone and there was a burning cot in the room. With that thought in mind, they intended to put as much distance between themselves and the castle as they possibly could.

Once they had some distance from the castle, Medea popped open one of the potions before slowly feeding it to the unconscious dwarf. His wounds slowly began vanishing, but he didn't regain consciousness. It gave Medea the idea that Gundren may have been seriously exhausted along with being tortured for information. They would have to get Gundren to a real healer to make sure there was nothing wrong with him.

Hauling the unconscious dwarf slowed them down considerably, but by nightfall, they managed to reach the split in the Triboar Trail which would lead them back to Phandalin. The group was tired, sore, and more than hungry, but they felt a bit safer. Knowing they were so close, they pushed further, taking a further three hours to get back to Phandalin proper.

Passing into the town with a level of exhaustion, the group reached the Stonehill Inn. Bursting inside, all noise stopped when the patrons saw the group hauling an unconscious dwarf into the area.

"We need our rooms and a healer, now!" Medea shouted.

People scrambled immediately and the local priestess, the only trained healer in the area, was immediately called. Gundren was taken to her house where she could administer more potent potions and even magic to heal what lingering injuries he had. He was badly beaten, but he wasn't in any life-threatening danger. He'd need time to recover, even with the potions fixing his physical ailments.

The party slumped into chairs in the inn, eating a well-deserved meal after the excitement of the day.

"You lot continue to impress," Sildar breathed a sigh of relief, now wearing his proper chainmail and sword again after the group returned it to him. The items were of important value to him and he was glad for their return. "You say you found the goblin fort?"

"Yeah, a ruined castle about a day's walk from here. It's in the Neverwinter Wood and hidden pretty good since the towers are all broken and hard to see with the thick trees all there," Dorn nodded, enjoying his hot meal.

"I see," Sildar nodded. "And you managed to bring down their leader as well as an agent of the Black Spider?"

"A doppelganger," Kathra nodded. "I saw the bitch change myself. The Black Spider's got deeper pockets than we thought if he can get those greedy bastards to work for him."

"Yes. It's worrisome," Sildar agreed. "Still, with the death of their leader, the goblin tribe will be in chaos for a while until one of the hobgoblins or another bugbear manages to wrest control and take them back. It will cripple their operations, both with the time and the amount of others they'll have to kill to do it. For now, they're neutralized."

"Well, that's one thing the Black Spider doesn't have going for him anymore," Medea sighed, rubbing her face.

"And thank the gods for that," Sildar nodded. "I do have a reward for you all in thanks for your service to the Lord's Alliance," he pulled a pouch if jingling gold from his side and placed it in front of the group. "500 gold pieces as a reward for bringing down those bandits."

"Aw, you shouldn't have," Kathra beamed, scooping the gold.

"Well, I had to as a man for the Lord's Alliance, but as a reward for helping me personally, I paid for your rooms for another five days," Sildar chuckled.

"You're a regular saint!" Dorn laughed. "We'd forgotten all about our rooms when we left!"

"We did pack up everything when we went," Kathra reminded him. "But we appreciate it. After how our day went, we need it."

"No doubt," Sildar nodded. "Well, I'll leave you all to your food and rest. You've earned it and I doubt anyone would disagree."

The group happily ate their fill and after a few congratulatory thanks from the remaining patrons, headed up to their rooms so they could get some sleep.

Dawn came and the group happily came down for some breakfast. To their surprise, the place was in full swing as people were celebrating the destruction of the bandits that plagues them for so long. Happy farmers and other commoners raised mugs with cheers as they celebrated the arrival of the adventurers. They were all but guided to an open table as people cheered and paid for meals and drink for them, egging the group on to tell the story of their adventure.

Kathra happily obliged, telling a harrowing tale of ruthless goblins, nefarious hobgoblins, and turncoat humans as she swung a mug of ale around. The burly men and tough woman laughed and cheered as she told the tale, roaring and slapping tables as she spoke of victorious strikes on the vile enemies.

Medea seemed to attract the attention of a number of the younger men who might have had more in mind than just hearing the story of an adventure. A few of them thought they were smooth operators and tried to ask more flirtatious questions. With her Noble background, Medea was able to deflect the questions or give neutral answers, although it seemed to enchant the young men to try harder.

Rael simply told the story like it was, although with his paladin mindset, he seemed to make it like a righteous crusade. As a Folk Hero though, he told it in a way that resonated with the farmers and miners attending the celebration, they would end up telling the story to their kids and grandkids, like how the tales of folk heroes spread.

Dorn seemed to attract the younger crowd, somehow kids managing to slip inside, wanting to hear the story. His natural storytelling skills thanks to being a DM so many times shone as he told an exciting tale more befitting the little ears of the children.

The celebration truly was in full swing before Dorn heard someone shout, "Hey Dorn, everybody, your friends are here! Tell 'em how you saved our town by yourselves!"

"Eh?" Dorn looked up to the front of the inn, seeing a group of four enter. To his surprise, he saw a human female with greenish hair, a triton girl, a goliath woman, and a male halfling at the front of the room. Dorn blinked, unsure of them for a moment before a flash seemed to run through him. Suddenly, the four were replaced by...his sister, her friends, and Steve?!

"AHHHHHHH?!"

Dorn's voice was not the only one that cried out at that moment.

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **And now we catch up with Dorn's party and the two groups meet at long last. Now the adventurers must deal with familiar faces as well as try to figure out the next step of their adventure.


	6. Thundertree

I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. That belongs to Wizards of the Coast and not me. I am only writing this for fun and not for profit. You want the material, look it up and buy the books yourself.

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver **

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 5: Thundertree**

"What the heck are you doing here Medusa?!" Dorn cried out in brotherly panic at his sister.

After the freak out at seeing a group of people they recognized, Dorn seized Medusa by the arm and pulled her up to his room. The remaining six members of the groups followed after their friends, managing to get inside before Dorn slammed the door shut. From there, he promptly began to freak out as any brother would when finding his sister ended up in what might be a death game.

"How do you think, stupid? We got sucked in the same way you did!" Medusa frowned, crossing her arms.

"How come we didn't see you all then?" asked Rael, confused.

"We arrived while you guys were out at the Redbrand hideout," Romeus explained. "So we asked around town and managed to get some quests which gave us some XP and give us some clues as to what's going on around here."

"But how did you get here?!" Dorn cried.

"My fault," Romeus rubbed the back of his neck. "I arrived and none of you guys were there. I thought you were on a snack run or something so I began making my character. Then Medusa, Thalai, and Aryn showed up. We were talking and they got interested. I figured since we ran games with seven or eight people before, you wouldn't mind playing with them too. So we made our characters to play with."

Medea crossed her arms. "And then the book reacted and sucked you guys inside where you ended up in a tavern called The Crimson Dragon where a dwarf explained out things worked here."

"Bingo," Thalai nodded. "We freaked out for a little bit before that nice dwarf explained what was going on. He told us you guys were here in Phandalin so he dropped us off here to get started on our parts."

"Wow," Kathra shook her head. "Well, at least we have some backup then."

"No, not good! Medusa, you can't leave Phandalin from now on!" Dorn insisted. "Things are way too dangerous and it's only going to get worse when we get dragged through to the Black Spider!"

"Oh screw that!" Medusa hissed. "I'm hip deep in all this now! I'm Level 2, borderline Level 3 for crying out loud! You're not keeping me out of this! I want to get home just as badly as you do!"

"Enough!" Medea called out, clapping her hands. "Medusa, you know how much of a worrywart Dorn can be when you get involved. Dorn, Medusa's involved in this and if she is close to level 3 then she can help. You and I both know we can't have too much help."

Dorn winced, "But…"

"Dorn," Medea frowned, making the ranger slump over in defeat.

"Dammit…" Dorn groaned. He then sighed and stood straight again, "Okay, okay. So what class are you guys?

"A Triton Cleric for Eadro," Aryn answered. "Tempest Domain."

"Halfling Bard," Romeus smiled. "I'm aiming to join the College of Lore."

"Goliath Barbarian," Thalai grinned proudly. "Gonna be a Totem Warrior."

"A warlock who made her pact with The Serpent Empress," Medusa nodded. Seeing several confused looks from her brother's friends, she explained, "I used some of the homebrew stuff Dorn has stashed away."

Dorn nodded, "Okay, so how much do you guys know about the current situation?"

"Not a whole lot," Medusa answered truthfully. "All we know is that some crime boss called the Black Spider is digging in deep here."

"That's about half the story," Medea replied. "The Black Spider's been more or less running the bandits and thugs in this area. What he's after is a place called Wave Echo Cave, which is a famous lost mine where magical items, weapons, and armor could be forged, making the place worth its weight in gold as well as being able to arm people with magic tools very easily."

"Whew," Romeus whistled. "Okay, makes sense that he's dug in now."

"Yeah," Rael nodded. "Three dwarven brothers managed to find the mine and are trying to open it up, but it seems like The Black Spider figured it out too and wants to shut them up. Two of them are still missing and we saved the third, but he's out cold right now and can't tell us where the cave is."

"Bummer," Thalai frowned. "So what do we do now? Wait for him to wake up?"

"I don't like that thought," Aryn muttered. "What if The Black Spider manages to get to Wave Echo Cave and starts arming his men? We don't need thugs armed with magic weapons storming the town to take it over in our sleep."

"Good point," Dorn nodded, rubbing his chin. "Okay, let's talk to Sildar again to see if we can find Wave Echo Cave."

Medusa and Dorn walked from the inn, passing by some of the merrymakers who wished to congratulate and thank Dorn a few more times before the managed to get away. Medusa said she had some supplies to get, and so broke away from her brother. Stepping out of the inn, Dorn began walking towards the Townmaster's Hall. Sildar was still there, dealing with the paperwork of the new constabulary and trying to cement its structure.

"Ah, so those four truly were our friends then," Sildar nodded as he met with Dorn again. The Ranger vouched for the second part of adventurers. "Good. I was slightly concerned when word reached me that a band of adventurers arrived in Phandalin and began asking about you all. The only reason I didn't question them immediately was because they had already taken jobs from the townsfolk and were on their way before I knew they were here."

"Paperwork kept you pinned down, huh?" Dorn snickered. Sildar just rolled his eyes, throwing a dull look at Harbon who was discussing something with a halfling woman. Carp's mother if he recalled. The woman looked to be increasingly frustrated and the townmaster was using roundabout excuses and promising nothing specific, only vague not-quite-commitments, and using the Redbrands as an excuse for something else.

"Uses any excuse he can to drop paperwork on me," Sildar shook his head. "I doubt he's going to be townmaster much longer once the Black Spider is dealt with. He may not even make it to the next elections."

"Would do the town a world of good," Dorn sighed. The halfling woman finally finished her business, or perhaps gave up, before she stomped over to Sildar.

"Sir, please tell me you can at least do something about _that!_" she huffed, proving quite hostile, which was surprising since halflings were usually quite pleasant folk. "I keep telling him that I'm sure I spotted some Redbrands running from that tunnel Carp found, but he just sits there and tells me none are left since we _clearly_ took care of them all!"

Sildar stiffened and nodded, "I'll have some men examine the area and we'll post some volunteers to keep an eye out."

The halfling woman huffed in some satisfaction, "There, was that so hard?"

"At least something is easy to do," Dorn nodded. "Now we just need to find Wave Echo Cave."

"I'm afraid only Gundren and his brothers knew where it was, and according to you, that doppelganger burned his map," Sildar sighed, shaking his head.

The halfling woman blinked at the men, "Oh, you need to find someplace?"

"Ah, just a particular cave in the mountains somewhere," Dorn shook his head. "It's hard to find or so we're told, but we think whoever was backing the Redbrands might be looking for it too. Now that our map is gone and Gundren is out cold, we don't have any leads."

"Hmm," the woman nodded. "Well, if this isn't rude of me for intruding, I do know of a fellow who might be able to help. He knows this whole area like the back of his hand. Down to the last tree if you ask me."

Sildar perked up, "You know of such a person? Truly?"

"Aye," the halfling nodded. "His name's Reidoth. He's a druid in the service of the Emerald Enclave. He's been heading up to Thundertree, trying to figure out why the volcano did what it did and how he can clear the land of the taint. He just went back a few days ago so he's probably there."

"This is a stroke of luck then," Sildar nodded. "Although if he's in Thundertree, it's going to be dangerous."

Dorn frowned, not liking those words, "What's so bad about Thundertree?"

"About thirty years ago, nothing," Sildar sighed. "However, for no apparent reason, Mount Hotenow north of the town erupted and coated the place in ash. Afterwards, strange zombies of all things drove out the people who survived the eruption and the earthquakes it caused. Most of the zombies crumbled to ash, but that just sank their magic into the ground and caused mutations in some of the local animals and vegetation. I'm not surprised the Emerald Enclave has an eye on it."

Dorn nodded. He did recall that the Emerald Enclave was an organization of druids and other like-minded folk who were determined to preserve the power of nature and bring down blights which were poisonous to it. They were politically neutral, unlike the Lord's Alliance. They only wished to continue preserving nature and maintain its order.

"I see the issue then," Dorn nodded. "Although we don't have much of a choice. Good thing our second group found us. We could use the backup in that case." He looked to Sildar, "Which way to Thundertree?"

"A little over two days north from here. It sits along the Neverwinter River and just outside the Neverwinter Wood on the western edge," Sildar answered.

"Damn," Dorn winced, but sighed. "Okay. An adventurer's job is never done I suppose. I'll collect my friends and we'll head up to Thundertree to find this Reidoth. Likely he's the only living person there so he won't he hard to find."

"Be careful up there," the halfling pat his arm. "We don't need to lose the heroes of Phandalin so soon after we found them."

"Thanks," Dorn chuckled. "It would be a pretty rotten time to die, wouldn't it?"

Dorn returned to the inn where his friends were seated, having had their full during the celebrations, they were content with some drinks to wet their whistles. All of them looked to the door and perked up when they saw it was Dron.

Coming to the table, Dorn pulled up a chair from a nearby empty table and sat down, "Okay guys, we've got a lead."

"What lead?" asked Rael.

"We all know we need to get to Wave Echo Cave, hopefully before the Black Spider gets to it," Dorn explained. "I got a lead from one of the townsfolk that a druid named Reidoth is up at the ruins of Thundertree. Apparently, the man knows this place like the back of his hand. If there's anyone that can get us to Gundren's claim, then it's him."

"Great! So, where's Thundertree?" asked Thalai.

"Two days north of here on the west side of Neverwinter Wood and next to the Neverwinter River," Dorn answered. "So, we're all going to have to pack up rations and make sure our supplies are in order."

"Aww, didn't we just get back from travelling," asked Aryn.

"Yeah, but travel is all part of the game," Kathra sighed. "So let's hit up the Lionshield Coster and get all of our rations up and refill our waterskins. We've got two days of travel ahead of us." She was met with grumbles and groans from her friends, but for the most part in was in good humor.

The group got up and thanked their well-wishers before they headed over to the Lionshield Coster once again for more supplies. Linene was happy to see them and gladly took their money in return for more food supplies. She was even happy to buy the spoils that Dorn and his group managed to collect from Cragmaw Keep. Medusa and her group were a little put out that their friends had managed to amass so much more cash than them. Their silver had barely been dented while Medusa, Romeus, Thalai, and Aryn had to pay 30 silver to get the total of 10 rations.

With their packs filled and secure, the group began their journey again out of Phandalin and back across the Triboar trail. They knew the start of the trek well enough, still having plenty of daylight.

"So what exactly did you guys do when we were busy with Redbrands and goblins?" asked Rael.

"Well, we sweet talked a banshee, negotiated with a necromancer, and we fought an ogre and a bunch of orcs," Thalai shrugged.

"What?!" Dorn gaped, looking at his sister. "You guys pulled off dangerous crap like that at Level 1?!"

"We only really fought the orcs," Medusa rolled her eyes. "And it was hard, but it was what got us so close to Level 3. At least we're not half-dead Level 1 noobs. We've got experience and we're about to come into a bunch of our abilities so we're not holding you guys back."

"But orcs, banshees, and necromancers and Level 1?!" Dorn cried. "That's just-!"

The party was cut off as a clack echoed through the air, just loud enough to be heard despite Dorn's shouting. Ahead of the group, at the crossroads which lead to the Triboar Trail and back to Phandalin, a pair of red d20 dice could be see. The dice on the left read a 19 and the other read a 17 and flashed, launching a pair d12 dice. One was sent towards Medusa's group while the other went to Dorn's. One landed on a 4 and flashed red while the other read 9 before doing the same.

"Found you!" a voice suddenly bellowed, causing the group to tense and turned. Lumbering down the path and swinging a massive club was a pale-skinned ogre. "You kill my guys! You made me look dumb! I kill you back!"

"Kill 'em!" more voices came from behind the ogre, revealing themselves to be a group of six orcs, all of them baying for blood.

"Aw crap!" Medusa groaned. She recognized the ogre as the one Romeus sent screaming from his cave. It seemed he was back for revenge. She slammed her staff on the ground, "_Mage Armor!_" An aura of serpents slid over Medusa's form, enhancing her defensive power.

"_Mage Armor!_" Medea did the same, slamming her staff onto the ground, expending a charge to armor herself with an arcane glow.

Rael lifted his sword, "Let's get things going! Initiative!"

Dice rolled and soon the other of initiative was set. Rael looked over the foes, a line of orcs on either side of the large ogre. On one hand, he could try to target the ogre since it was clearly the largest threat. On the other hand, it would be easy for the orcs to swarm someone else. Cutting them down would make it easier to focus on the ogre.

Grabbing his new greatsword, he decided to make his charge, "Okay tanks, let's make a wall and bring these guys down hard!"

"Rael, I don't know-!" Medea began, but Rael charged forward. He raced straight at the ogre, running a hand along his sword. "_Thunderous Smite!_" Coming to the ogre, he gripped his sword and swung hard at the large monster. Dice rolled another natural 20, making the sword shine before the blade crashed into the ogre's side.

"Again?!" Dorn, Kathra, and Medea gaped at the sight. That only confused the second party.

Rael's blade struck the ogre, causing a thunderous clash and a flash of yellow light. From the impact, four d6 dice rolled. The first two were for the sword, totaling 22. The second were for the spell, totaling 18. Together, it totaled 40 damage. The ogre bellowed as it's d20 rolled for the other effect of the _Thunderous Smite_. Its dice showed 4 turned 8, a failure.

From the crash, the ogre roared and skidded back ten feet, leaving gouges in the dirt before crashing in a heap on his back. The other orcs almost gaped at the sight, but they quickly rallied and roared, swinging their axes.

"Well, I guess that makes things easier," Kathra shrugged. Pulling out her swords, she charged into the fray behind her elf friend. Coming to orc #4, she slashed with both shortswords. Dice rolled, but sadly came to a 10 and a 1, missing both times as the orc grunted and blocked the first blow before Kathra nearly tripped and fell on the second. "Dammit!"

Dorn and Romeus, having rolled the same number, both went at the same time. Dorn quickly pulled out an arrow and took aim at another of the orcs. The sixth orc in his case. He quickly fired, rolling his dice. A total of 16 had the arrow strike the orc in the chest. It snarled in pain, taking 11 piercing damage. The orc stumbled back, but didn't fall.

Romeus looked to see his friends dealing with the ogre and half of the orcs. Were he any other class, he could go out and start fighting directly. As a bard, that was not such a smart idea. Instead, he would have to use other tricks to keep the orcs at bay.

"Here we go!" he grinned, running towards orcs 1, 2, and 3. Getting closer, he moved into a power slide like a musician. Holding his lute, he strummed a hard tune across the strings, "_Thunderwave!_" The tones turned to a thunderous crash, creating a 15-foot circle which struck the three orcs. All three orcs were struck, sending d20's for a saving throw. All three failed, none of them even hit 10. All three were knocked back 10 feet, taking 6 thunder damage, but weren't knocked over like the ogre.

"Thank you everyone! I'll be here all night!" Romeus laughed.

"Okay, save some for the rest of us glory hog," Medusa laughed. Lifting her staff, she pointed it at orc #1 and fired off another _Eldtrich Blast_. The serpentine blast slithered through the air at her target. A dice roll of 11 proved just enough and blast the orc in the chest. D10 revealed a total of 5 damage.

Medusa stepped forward and stood before the orcs and lifted her hands, "_Burning Hands!_" Flames erupted from her fingertips and spread over the three orcs.

"Hey, hey, watch it!" Kathra cried, seeing the flames coming. Surprisingly, the flames flowed around Kathra to strike at the three orcs. All three rolled to save themselves from the attack. Orc # 4 failed, but the other two succeeded. Dice rolled for damage, giving the first orc 6 fire damage, but the other two only took 3. The flames died down, leaving one orc clearly burned, but the other two were singed.

"Sculpt Spells is such a useful skill," Medea grinned, blowing smoke off of her fingertips.

"Hey! Leave some for me!" Thalai laughed, charging across the battlefield with her axe raised. She headed straight for the ogre, maxing out her movement. She swung down at the ogre, giving herself advantage on the attack since the ogre was prone.

Her attack dice rolled 4 and 9. Fortunately, his 9 turned 14 so it was more than enough to have her attack strike the ogre. The axe crashed down, dealing 8 damage to the ogre, which roared in pain as it took the blow, but only looked enraged from the attack.

The ogre grunted ad pulled itself up. Glaring at Thalai, it roared and swung its greatclub at Thalai. The dice rolled a 1, missing completely, as the club crashing down in the dirt next to her. Thalai merely grinned tauntingly, gripping her own weapon.

The orcs rallied and raced for their targets. Orcs 1, 2, and 3 all mobbed Romeus, making the halfling yelp as they swung their greataxes at him. The good news was that two of the orcs missed, letting Romeus dance out of the way. As he was moving, the last attacker snuck in, catching him aross the abdomen in a flash of red. "OOF!"

Romeus stumbled, clutching his stomach. It was lucky that he wasn't following normal physics or else his guts would be opened up. His eyes caught movement, spotting a red d12 which totaled 7 damage for him, "Peachy…. Cut in half already."

Thalai found herself jumped from the side by another orc, swinging at her with its axe. It rolled a natural 20, causing it's axe to light up like a red blaze. Thalai's eyes widened in shock, "Oh fuck!" The axe crashed into her, making her roar in pain, taking 11 damage in total. She snarled, glaring at the orc who hit her.

Kathra found herself targeted by a second orc, but dodged a dice roll of 6. Medea took on the last orc as it swung its own axe at her. It rolled a total of 15, breaking through Medea's _Mage Armor_ and taking a heaping 10 damage.

"Oh, fuck you!" Medea shouted out a pain reflex. The orc only laughed, preparing to strike a second time.

Aryn gulped, clearing intimidated by the numerous monsters fighting her friends. Frankly, it looked like one of those savage fight scenes from fantasy movies. The only difference was that she was in the middle of it instead of just watching it.

"What do I do?" she wondered. Looking around, she decided to try to bring down at least one of the targets. Stepping forward, she looked at the ogre and lifted her amulet, "Eadro, please lend this little one your aid. _Guiding Bolt!_"

The surging stream of shining water fired at the ogre. The roll came to a 5 turned 8, missing the ogre completely as it stepped aside. Aryn wilted at the sight of her miss, "No…"

Rael huffed and charged for the ogre once again, gripping his sword and swung at it. The attack struck true, slashing across the ogre's torso. Two d6 rolled, showing the blade had dealt 7 damage. The ogre roared and stumbled slightly, but it wasn't going to back down.

"HIYAH!" Kathra roared as her turn came up, striking out with both of her swords at the orc that struck at her. Unlike her last turn, both of her swords landed with rolls of 15 and 16. The blades sank into the orc's body for a total of 16. The orc roared and exploded into blue lights, showing the kill.

"One down!" she cheered.

"About to be two!" Dorn shouted, turning his attention towards the three orcs which were menacing Romeus. Drawing another arrow, he nocked it back before firing at the closest orc. A 26 was more than enough with 6 total damage. The arrow pierced the first orc's head, making it grunt and collapse before vanishing.

"_Thunderwave!_" Romeus called out, strumming his lute a second time. The force hit the two orcs point blank and both moved to save themselves. One failed, but the other succeeded. Two d8 rolled a total of 12 damage. The orc that succeeded managed to survive, but the other was blasted back with a roar of pain before it vanished.

"I'd say duck, but halfings being so short," Medusa called out before she fired another _Eldritch Blast._ The serpentine energy flew and went over Romeus' head before crashing into the final orc menacing the halfling. The blast struck hard, dealing 5 damage to the orc and causing it to explode in a flash of green lights.

"Okay, time to get dirty," Medea hissed, flicking out a dagger she held at her side. Somewhat awkwardly, she lunged with the small weapin for the orc's gut. Her dice rolled, showing a 21 total and her dagger sunk into the orc's chest. It's eyes bulged in surprise, likely from seeing a Wizard do something physical. A puny d4 totaled 6 dmage, which enough to end the orc in a flash of purple.

"Two left!" she declared loudly.

"About to be one! _RAGE!_" Thalai roared, swinging hard at the last orc while her Rage skill activated. Sadly, a roll of 1 had her swing to hard and miss completely. "Waugh!"

The ogre seemed to ignore it all and roared, swinging at Thalai with its club again. This time it was successful as it totaled 22 and smashed hard into the goliath Barbarian. It dealt 9 damage, but thanks to Thalai's Rage, it was reduced to a 4.

The orc followed up with the attack, swinging its axe at her. Another dice rolled, showing 14, which was another hit as the axe smashed into her with another red flash. The attack dealt another 7 damage, but was reduced to 3. The goliath woman stumbled, needing her axe to remain steady.

"THALAI!" Aryn and Medusa cried out.

"I'm okay!" Thalai snarled.

"You wlll be!" Aryn called, running deeper into the fray. Coming to Thalai's back, she gripped her symbol while placing another hand on her friend's back. "_Cure Wounds!_" From the emblem, torrents of mystical water flowed and spun around Thalai. From the middle of it dropped a bright blue d8, rolling a 5 which became an 8. Immediately, the red glowing marks on Thalai's body faded, giving her some vitality back.

"Thanks," Thalai grunted as the water moved away. "Now let's kick some ass!"

"Oh yeah!" Rael agreed, swinging one more time at the ogre. The ogre was a little more wary thought, and a total of 10 on the dice showed it as the ogre blocked the strike with it club, snarling despite the clear marks of battle on it. "Oh come on!"

"Just hang on! Gotta take care of something!" Kathra called, setting her sights on the last orc. Her dice remained good to her, slashing the last orc with both swords. Her dice read 4 and 9, almost bisecting the lorc before its body vanished in another haze of light. "Okay, I'm done!"

Dorn unseathed his own swords and dashed around Rael before lunging with his own swords. His first strike was true, digging the sword into the ogre's side with a roll of 11. It must have struck someplace vital as the dice read 4 damage. The ogre bellowed, jerking from the attack before falling backwards. It's body then exploded into a haze of lights, leaving the party to their victory.

"Ooooh, I don't need to do that repeatedly," Romeus sighed, slumping to sit on the ground. "Can't we try to talk out way out next time?"

Before he could get an answer, Romeus, Thalai, Medusa, and Aryn found their dice rising up and circling them, indicating their ascension from Level 2 to Level 3.

"So that's what it looks like," Kathra pondered, watching their friends level up.

Thalai's world lit up in yellow as once more, the ethereal writing appeared to explain what new powers she has unlocked.

_By walking the path of your class as barbarians, you know come to a crossroads, choose one now._

_The Path of the Berserker: the path some barbarians choose to use their rage as the ultimate weapon._

_Path of the Totem Warrior: a spiritual path in which you are empowered by the magic of your guide._

Thalai gripped the mammoth tusk ornament around her neck. She had been told about the options of a class during Romeus' explanations. She already knew which path she wanted to pick when she first put together her story and found the option in the homebrew document _The Lost Tome_.

"I choose the Path of the Totem Warrior," she announced.

The writing flashed and suddenly Thalai felt like she could feel a kind of magic in the air. Not actual magic, but something beyond it, a power which she wasn't all that aware of before. The writing vanished before more began taking its place.

_By choosing the Path of the Totem Warrior, you now become more mystical inclined to the spirits of nature. You are now able to connect with it to cast the Beast Sense and Speak with Animals spells as rituals rather than normal spells._

_As you have chosen this path, you must also choose a totem spirit who shall become your companion. You require a physical totem object, an amulet or adornment which includes a piece of that animal. Do you wish to have a Mammoth Totem Spirit?_

"Damn right I do," Thalai grinned.

As she confirmed it, the tusk piece around her neck began to shine, and Thalai's vision was filled with an aura version of a wooly mammoth. She gasped in awe of the animal, seeing it for how powerful it was. For a moment, she feared it would try to hurt her, considering her character had struck the killing blow when it was alive. After that moment, the mammoth let off a soft trumpet before patting her head with its trunk. Thalai smiled at the spirit's acceptance, suddenly feeling like she made a new friend.

As the mammoth ruffled her head, the tie holding her braid snapped, causing her red hair to come loose and tumble down her back, flowing freely like the mammoth's fur. Many would say it made Thalai more beautiful, but at the same time, the red hair made her seem more menacing at the same time, much like the furred form of a mammoth and its quiet power.

The mammoth faded, but the etchings on Thalai's totem continued to glow while words began writing again.

_By selecting the mammoth as your totem spirit, you begin gaining its abilities. You now have the mammoth's abilities. At your current level, that includes the Trampling Charge. Should you move 20ft towards a creature and strike it with an attack during the same turn, the target must pass a DC 18 Strength Saving Throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, you may make one attack against it as a bonus action._

"So cool," Thalai grinned, gently holding her new totem. "Glad to have you here Snuffy."

Romeus sighed in relief as the purple aura surrounded him, creating writing in front of him which explained his next level of abilities.

_With your growing experiences, you have also gained expertise with your skills. Choose two skills your have proficiency with. The proficiency bonus during checks involving those skills are now doubled._

"Yes!" Romeus grinned. "I choose...Deception and Stealth."

The words flashed and vanished, acknowledging the selection. Once they faded, new words took their place.

_With your growing skill in the art of music, you have been deemed worthy to join a Bardic College. Which College will you choose?_

_The College of Valor: A following of bards who glorify the great deeds of heroes gone by and inspire the next generation of heroes to come._

_The College of Lore: A grouping of bards who impart lessons and knowledge on their audiences, leaving everyone a little more enlightened than before._

Romeus already knew his choice. When he made a character, he liked to look at what archetype he'd like to be when he made the personality of his characters. It didn't take a moment to pick what he wanted.

"I choose the College of Lore," he declared. The words of his choice flashed and suddenly, Romeus could realize all the stories, events, and things he learned about could be fit together in a song or two. Different subjects of history, politics, religion, and other things could all become a song which pushed things to the truth of how things were and how beautiful the world could be.

_By taking on the ideals of the College of Lore, you gain skills from their collected knowledge. You are now proficient in three skills of your choice. Choose them now._

Romeus grinned at the declaration before looking to his skill list which appeared in front of him. Seeing his choices, he quickly picked, "I choose Insight, Persuasion, and Animal Handling."

The skills lit up before all of the script faded, allowing more writing.

_Also by joining the College of Lore, you learn the use of your Cutting Words to confuse, distract, and sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature you can see within 60ft is about to make an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll, you may expend a Bardic Inspiration die to subtract the result from that creature's roll. The creature is immune if it can't hear you or if it is immune to being charmed._

_As you have gained a level, you now have the capacity to learn six spells and have four first level spell slots and two second level slots._

_Choose your spell._

Romeus looked through his spells again, deciding to go for one with utility rather than offense, since he did have Dissonant Whispers and Thunderwave. So he quickly selected the Identify spell. He'd need a pearl worth at least 100gp before he could use it, but it would be worth it when the group began finding magic items.

Aryn's world lit up in blue as she received a short message compared to her friends.

_With your experience with the magic power connected to your deity, you have increased your magical power. You are now able to have 4 first level spell slot and 2 second level spell slots._

Aryn smiled. This meant she would be able to begin using second level spells!

Medusa's world was shrouded in green as she felt the power of The Serpent Empress flare as the ancient Medusa's attention was brought to her again.

_You have pleased The Serpent Empress by showing your might and skill with her power. In return for her pleasure, she will grant you a Pact Boon. Select which boon you would like to receive._

_Pact of the Chain: You learn the Find Familiar spell and may cast it as a ritual to receive a familiar from your patron as a sign of your loyalty and commitment to your service to The Servant Empress._

_Pact of the Blade: You become capable of creating a weapon from the power of your patron to unleash her fury on your enemies and leave their bodies in your wake as punishment for their siding against The Serpent Empress._

_Pact of the Tome: You receive a Book of Shadows filled with knowledge your patron has generously allowed you to learn._

Medusa smirked, already knowing what she wanted, "I choose the Pact of the Chain."

The words flash and for a brief moment, Medusa felt like someone was behind her and she heard a soft hiss near her ear. She turned around, but only saw more green aura before she felt something like a snake slithering down her back, although nothing was there. Still, she could feel the power of the new Pact Boon settling in her power. As it settled, she saw more words in the air.

_With the enhanced power of your patron coursing through you, you now can cast spells at the second level and now can hold four spells in your mind._

The list of possible spells came up and Medusa looked through them. For a moment, she considered what she saw, but then quickly came to the choice of the Shatter spell, feeling she needed some extra punch for her spells.

Once the selections were made, the four were presented the choice of how to enhance their hit points. Thalai rolled for it again, landing on an 11, putting her total up to 35 hit points. Romeus hoped to score some extra hit points and tried to roll the dice. He got a five, making the attempt moot. Aryn merely took the standard, putting her up to 21 hit points. Medusa tried the dice, getting an 8 for her d8, putting her hit points directly at 30.

"Okay, can we try to rest a little first?" asked Romeus as the light died down. "Our health didn't replenish with that."

"Do you have Song of Rest?" asked Dorn. Getting a nod, he replied, "Okay. Let's rest up. A lot of us took some bad hits."

"We have extra potions if we need them," Medea offered. "Just in case the rest doesn't heal up enough."

Mumbles of thanks came around as several party members moved to lay down in the grass while others looked for loot the orcs or the ogre may have had on them. The ogre only left its club and hide armor. The other orcs were a little more civilized. Aside from their axes and hide armor, each had left behind a pouch of coin. With so many members of the party, splitting the individual coins would make any gains miniscule. With the permission of everyone in the party, they rolled a d8 to see which of them would get a pouch. Half of the pouches had only coppers, but Aryn managed to score some silver while Thalai took some gold. Rael really scored when the pouch he won had five platinum pieces in it.

After the loot was passed out, the party took to the grassy fields surrounding the path and just slumped down, taking the time to catch their breath, get some rest, and just taking in the sunlight as they enjoyed just getting out of the fight. Romeus had pulled out his lute and began playing a soothing and relaxing song for everyone, activating his _Song of Rest_ feature.

The bard, Kathra, Medea, and Thalai all took out their hit dice and began rolling them. During a short rest, characters could roll a hit dice, or as many as their current level, and regain hit points equal to each result added with their Constitution modifier to their hit points. Romeus' _Song of Rest_ would add 1d6 to that total. The dice rolled and the group of wounded individuals restored almost all of their hit points, which would be helpful in case they were jumped a second time before they had another long rest.

As her friends rested, Medusa found a rock in the field and began rummaging through her pack. She mentally thanked Sister Garaele for her aid. Medusa had known what Pact Boon she was going to take, so while Dorn was going to talk with Sildar, Medusa went to the religious woman to ask her for a favor. Medusa knew that to get a familiar, she would have to cast the _Find Familiar _spell and to do that, she would need a brazier and some herbs for the ritual. Sister Garaele was likely the only magic-user in Phandalin so the Warlock hoped she had the supplies.

Fortunately, Garaele was more than happy to help. She did in fact have a brazier, an old one, but one which would work. She even gave the herbs, charcoal, and incense she would need . Medusa offered to pay for them, but Garaele refused. It didn't stop Medusa from leaving a gold coin at the shrine to Tymora that Graele looked after.

"Medusa, what are you doing?" asked Aryn, watching Medusa fill the brazier with the herbs before claiming her tinderbox.

"I'm taking the chance to use the _Find Familiar _ritual," Medusa explained. "Since I chose the Pact of the Chain for my Warlock Pact Boon, I'm able to summon one and get some special perks to go with it."

"You mean you get to have an animal friend who can help you fight?" asked Aryn, sitting opposite of her friend.

"Well, my familiar will be able to move on their own initiative, but they can't attack. With my Pact of the Chain, I can instead use up my attack action to have them attack instead," Medusa explained. "It's handy if the familiar has special abilities, but I can also use them to touch creatures so I can cast a spell that requires touch through them."

"Oh," Aryn nodded. It sounded a little complicated to her but she was still learning the D&D rules. Fortunately, living it helped her learn them way faster than just reading out of a book or hearing someone explain it did.

"Anyway, just don't throw me off. Rituals take 10 minutes to cast," Medusa nodded as she got the herbs smoking. "So don't distract me. These are all of the herbs I have and I don't want to pick or pay for more."

Arny nodded and Medusa began to chant words as the three ingredients in the brazier began to light on fire. It caught the attention of the others as the Warlock made her spell. The fire turned a poisonous shade of green and the smoke from the incense seemed to slither like snakes. Ten long minutes passed before Medusa's voice raised to a crescendo and she pointed her open palm at the flames, "_Find Familiar!_"

The fire gave off a low boom before going out, sending a cloud of smoke into the air. At first no one was sure what was supposed to happen next, but they all froze when the audible sounds of a snake came from the brazier.

From inside the container, a bright green cobra easily the size of a king cobra emerged. It had a bright yellow underbelly, but the scales on the back of its hood were multicolored and sparkled almost like gems. It tasted the air and slithered straight to Medusa's lap.

"Oooh, hello darling," Medusa cooed, letting the snake slither into her arms. "Such a beautiful little one came to see me."

"EEK!" Aryn yelped, scrambling back. "M-M-MEDUSA! YOU CALLED A FUCKING SNAKE?!"

Said snake hissed and Medusa frowned, "Aryn, Andromeda is no mere snake. She's an Imperial Cobra, one of the Serpent Empress' favored servants. Show my beautiful emerald some manners."

"Wow. You only get this way over puppies," Dorn chuckled, arms crossed. Perhaps it was his ranger memories from his character, but snakes were nothing to fear for him.

"Cool," Thalai grinned, peering as the snake wrapped over Medusa's shoulders and looked at each member of the group.

"_Andromeda,_" the snake hissed, making everyone stiffen save for Medusa. "_It sounds like a beautiful name._"

"It is," Medusa cooed. "It is the name of a princess who was so beautiful, the gods were jealous of her."

"Uh, that's not how the story goes," Romeus muttered, but was ignored.

"_Ah. Such a fine name for me,_" the snake, now named Andromada, hissed in pleasure. She rests herself completely on Medusa's shoulders. "_I see we shall make a fine pair. Only beauty can truly pair with beauty after all._"

"You are so right," Medusa smiled.

The party final finished their hour of short rest and began travelling again. Medusa cooed over Andromeda the entire time. The snake was in fact incredibly vain, only allowing the other girls to touch her since in her mind, they were beautiful enough to do so. Medusa and Medea both had a noble beauty, which Andromeda thought was fitting to be around her. Thalai had a primal beauty, making her fierce and desirable to the snake. Kathra was more practical in her looks, but her brazen admiration for Andromeda's jewel-like scales earned the snake's approval. Aryn, while an exotic beauty as a triton, was terrified to be near the cobra and hung closer to the men. The men on the other hand were only appreciated for as much as they could do and they never got a chance to touch the snake as their hands were 'too tough' for Andromeda's superior and sensitive scales.

'_Pampered pet,_' the boys muttered in their thoughts as Andromeda tried to have Medusa surround themselves with the other girls. It was going to be a long trip.

They continued their trek until they reached the Neverwinter Wood. At that point, it had become too dark to see. The group found a nice open spot for a camp and they quickly set up a small fire to see while the broke out their supplies to get themselves fed and watered.

"So we head east and that's where that ruined castle you guys found is?" asked Medusa. The group began settling down to a campfire. As with teenagers, or in this case those with a teenager mentality, the girls gossiped with the girls while the boys hung out. Their discussion turned to the Cragmaw Castle and what was found there.

"Yeah. It was tough going for a while, I have to be honest with you," Kathra nodded. "I mean, hobgoblins, a grick, that bitch of a doppelganger, and the traps that we dodged. Not a fun place to be."

"We got a lot of loot out of it though," Medea grinned. "Shame we couldn't save Gundren's map."

"Lucky you," Aryn rolled her eyes. She looked to Medusa and suddenly noticed that she was missing a new accessory, "Medusa, where's your snake?"

"Oh, Andromeda's off snagging a mouse or something. She'll be back," Medusa waved off her friend's question. Aryn just trembled and looked around, wanting to make sure the cobra stayed far away from her.

Thalai laughed and looked around the dark. The shadows spread over a lot of the grass, but it also made the nearby forest appear more menacing. It confused her a little, having so many experiences and knowledge as Thalai, but knowing they weren't hers as Lyn. In some ways it was kind of creepy, although it made sense she would need those experiences and knowledge to help her survive in the Forgotten Realms.

A snap caught the attention of the Barbarian and they had her hands on her axe in a flash, getting her friends' attention. Thalai's eyes were drawn to the forest where a pair of red d20's were glowing in the darkness. One read a 6 before it faded, but the other read a 19 which flashed ominously.

"I think we got company!" Thalai growled, standing up in the direction the dice had come.

A loud shout in goblin came from the woods and _nine_ goblins came charging out, waving their weapons wildly in the air. Behind them, four hobgoblins followed, bellowing in reverence to their god. From the distance, the group could hear one or two of them raging about avenging the insults to the Cragmaw Tribe.

"I think they're pissed about you guys," Romeus muttered to Rael.

"Oh, shut up," Rael sighed. "Tanks up front and ranged in the back! Hurry!"

Kathra, Thalai, and Rael took up the front while Dorn and Medusa, being half-casters were a bit behind them. Aryn, Medea, and Romeus took, focusing on the use of their magic instead of trying to fight hands to hand. Both Medusa and Medea cast _Mage Armor_ on themselves, giving themselves much needed defense.

"We're set! Initiative!" Dorn called as the goblins were halfway towards their targets. The dice immediately flew and soon the battle was officially joined.

Goblins on their own weren't much of a threat and hobgoblins were only a moderate one. However, goblins rarely attacked on their own and the hobgoblins were not reckless fighters. They were disciplined and knew how to send out their troops. It was one of the challenges of D&D. No matter how high a level you had, you could get swarmed and brought down by smaller monsters just as easily as one big one.

Kathra knew this and she also knew they had to cut down the goblins first or they would get swarmed. Either the numerous goblins could cut them down or the hobgoblins would use the distraction to pick them off. So, while there was still some distance between them, Kathra drew her longbow before aiming at one of the forerunners of the goblins.

The dice, and the arrow, flew true, managing to nail one of the closest goblins straight in the eye. It was there for a moment before vanishing in a blast of blue. The other goblins didn't seem to notice, or at least not enough to slow them down.

Medea had the next turn, her overall _Dexterity_ being just one point higher than the goblins' own. Breaking ranks, she moved to stand ahead of Thalai. Rael's eyes widened when he saw his friend where she shouldn't be, "Medea!"

"Just trust me!" Medea snapped back before she outstretched her hands. "_Burning Hands! Second Level!_" Her hands ignited with arcane fire and burned in a deadly cone in front of her. Four of the goblins were caught in it's wake, causing them to shriek in cry in pain. Their dice flew to save them, as did the dice for Medea's spell.

Shockingly, the goblins ducked as their dice read high numbers, the lowest being a 12 turned 14 with modifiers. All four goblins were obviously burnt and hurt, but they all only took 4 damage thanks to Medea's dice being halved and rounded down to the saves.

"Are you kidding?!" Medea yelped at the sight of the crispy goblins. "All four of you?!"

The goblins snarled as the mob continued their charge blades raised and ready to kill someone. Medea found herself swarmed by the four of the goblins, swinging their junk scimitars at her in a flash of steel. Two of the goblins either missed or the magic aura surrounding her took the blows. Sadly, a third managed to hit her, cutting across her abdomen in a flash of red. Worse, the last goblin got a natural 20, cutting a deep line down her chest, eliciting a scream from the Wizard. The half-elf stumbled, her hit points dropping down to just 5 thanks to the 19 damage she took from the two.

One goblin took a swipe at Thalai, trying to keep her away from Medea, but failed miserably as she blocked the strike with the shaft of her axe. Rael, Kathra, and Medusa each found a goblin swiping at them in their mad rush to attack. Only Kathra was struck, taking a measly 3 damage from it.

In the midst of the chaos, the hobgoblins saw their opportunity, drawing their longbow and pulling back on some arrows. As one, they fired at the party. One fired at Medea, seeing her as easy prey. The arrow grazed her, dealing 2 damage, but putting her closer to the dreaded 0.

"Motherfucker!" Medea shrieked, a slash of red on her shoulder.

"Chug a potion!" Dorn shouted.

"Not my turn! Fuck!" Medea hissed.

Another hobgoblin fired at Kathra, but in the melee, Kathra moved at the last moment and the arrow flew past her, digging into the dirt near Medea. The third aimed at Rael, the hate goblinoids had for elves coming into play. Like his comrade though, the arrow flew wide and missed, glancing off of Rael's armor. The last hobgoblin tried to follow up with an arrow on the same target, but like his comrade he ended up missing, wasting the arrow.

Romeus grit his teeth. His first instinct as to go and start stabbing things. Sadly, he remembered that he was a Bard and he was one of the squishy guys. Instead, he moved to stand behind Dorn before strumming a tune on his lute again, "_Healing Word!_"

Romeus sung a lovely song about vitality and healing. Around him, a stream of green magic swirled around him before it flowed to Medea and circled around her. A d4 rolled, showing a 3 turned 7 to heal Medea for the same amount.

"Thanks," Medea wearily sighed, feeling some of her pains vanishing.

"Anything for a pretty lady!" Romeus grinned weakly.

"Get out of my way!" Rael roared, swinging his greatsword down at the goblin in front of him. His dice showed a 14, which had the goblin dance back with a yelp, missing entirely. "Dammit!"

"_My turn,_" Andromeda hissed with some dark anticipation. "_So any ugly little targets._"

"Just make sure to bite the goblins first. We need the pests cleared," Medusa suggested. "I'd suggest helping Medea."

"_I shall. She is beautiful enough to remain part of our entourage,_" Andromeda hissed in confirmation and slithered off of Medusa's shoulders. Landing in the grass, she slithered across the battlefield. Slithering through the grass towards Medea, she coiled up behind the goblins on Medea's right and hiding in the grass. This counted as a Hide action, and a scaly d20 rolled for the snake. She naturally had a +7 to Stealth, serving her well as her dice totaled 25, making her all but invisible to the nearby goblins.

Dorn gripped another arrow and quickly fired it at one of the goblins threatening Medea on her right. A 21 was more than enough, piercing the goblin in the threat, making it choke before vanishing in a blast of green.

"_RAGE!_" Thalai bellowed, lifting her axe and unleashing her fury on the goblin in front of her. She didn't read the dice, but the result was clear as her axe came crashing down, bisecting the goblin in a flash of red which became yellow as it vanished.

Medusa frowned down at the goblin in front of her, but decided that it could keep, "Darling, bite!"

Andromeda rose up from where she was in the grass. She eyed the last goblin within range before striking with her poisonous fangs folding out. A dice rolled, landing on a 13 which became a 20. Andromeda struck, sinking her fangs deep into the goblin's calf, earning a shriek of surprise and pain. Immediately green and sickly veins spread from the bite as a d4 revealed a 4 turned 9. The chance to resist poison should have come, but the damage alone was enough as the goblin collapsed, writhing from the pain of the poison before it vanished in a haze of green.

"Thanks," Medea nodded to the snake who bobbed back.

"Wonderful darling," Medusa grinned, seeing the goblin die.

Aryn gulped and ran to where Romeus was. Steeling herself, she gripped her symbol to Eadro and pointed it at one of the goblins around Mede. "_Sacred Flame!_"

The stream of water-like blue fire surged at the goblin, making it yelp as it noticed the incoming attack. It's dice rolled to save it, showing a 19 turned 21, letting it jump out of the way in fright.

"No…" Aryn whimpered.

Kathra grunted and drew her shortswords, aiming them at the goblin in front of her. Roaring, she swung hard at her closest enemy. Her hit was true at a 23 and she slashed the goblin across the chest, dealing 5 damage. A second strike missed at a 6, making the dwarf curse.

Medea grit her teeth, but her focus was more on the hobgoblins. She lifted her hand and pointed at the one across from her. She fired a _Ray of Frost_, sending the cryomantic beam at the goblinoid. A 9 turned 15 was enough, blasting the hobgoblin in the chest, coating it in frost while taking 5 damage.

The goblins went on the attack, as the did the hobgoblins with more arrows. One goblin failed against Medea's mage armor, but the second goblin slashed with another natural 20. Fortunately, it's damage d6 rolled a 1, making the total damage 4. Kathra was the only other one who took damage from the goblins with 7.

The hobgoblins kept firing at those in the front line. With the chaos enveloping them with the goblins shouting and making people move in taking or avoiding blows, the arrows went wide once again, frustrating the goblinoids fiercely.

"Those hobgoblins are going to pick us off if we don't stop 'em!" Romeus shouted.

"You're the Bard. Use a status effect or something!" Dorn retorted.

"I was going to!" Romeus snapped back. He looked to the hobgoblins and targeted the one Medea frosted over, "Hey you! _Vicious Mockery!_" He sang out a halfling song insulting everything he could think of about the hobgoblin. The hobgoblin attempted to save, rolling a 7. Immediately, the hobgoblin clutched his ears in pain, taking 1 psychic damage.

Rael didn't notice the byplay, swinging his sword at the dancing goblin in front of him, making him angry at its ridiculousness. His dice were more favorable to him, letting his sword strike the goblin with a shriek. Two d6 rolled, dealing the goblin 8 damage and bisecting it in a flash of yellow.

"Finally," Rael muttered.

"The red ones this time please," Medusa hissed softly through her bond with Andromeda. The Imperial Cobra agreed and slithered through the grass towards the hobgoblins. Using stealth, she attempted to hide from the hobgoblins' visions. Another Stealth check of 19 had her disappear into the grass around the hobgoblins.

Dorn drew another arrow and moved slightly, launching another arrow at a goblin in front of Medea. In the chaos, his aim was off as the arrow flew over the goblin's head. "Why do goblins have to have such a good AC?!"

Thalai roared and charged at the goblin in front of her. Not enough for her _Trampling Charge_ ability to work. No, she'd save that for the hobgoblins. Instead, her ae flew at the goblin in an attempt to decapitate it. Another successful hit did remove the goblin's head, making in vanish in a blast of yellow.

"You're next!" she bellowed, pointing at the hobgoblins, all of them scowling at the challenge.

Medusa grinned, seeing the hobgoblins distracted, "Bite." Andromeda hissed in pleasure and lunged for the hobgoblin's leg, fangs bared. Rolling an 11 turned 18 was just enough for her fangs to pierce the hobgoblin's flesh.

"GRAH!" it roared, catching his comrades' attention, and seeing the snake digging her fangs into his flesh. The hobgoblin kicked the snake away, but then he paled as green veins spread over his leg and taking 8 damage from the bite alone. He had no chance to resist the poison before collapsing, vanishing in a haze of green.

"This time for sure," Aryn steeled herself. "_Sacred Flame!_" Once again her spell fired at the last goblin menacing Medea. It rolled to try and save itself, rolling a 12 turned 14, allowing it to dodge once again. "What?! Oh, come on!"

"Goblins are pretty nimble," Romeus offered weakly.

Once again Kathra slashed at the wounded goblin in front of her. Another successful roll of 23 had the blow land and deal 8 damage, cutting the goblin down in a flash of blue, "Fucking finally!" She then turned to the goblin beside her attacking Medusa and slashed at it. As had been her luck, she failed it with a natural 1.

Medea frowned, but drew her dagger and decided to forgo something flashy and tried to gut the goblin. A total of 21 made the strike and buried the blade into the goblin's chest. 4 damage was enough to drop the goblin in a flash of purple, "Payback."

The last goblin looked around and saw his friends were dead and the hobgoblins were distracted by the snake which just killed one of their friends. Seeing his chance, he just turned around and bolted, trying to get to the forest and some relative safety.

"Oh no you don't!" Medusa hissed, swinging her staff with both hands in an attack of opportunity. The attack was successful, letting the staff crack against the goblin's head. A d8 rolled, showing a 6 turned 10, cracking the goblin's skull. It collapsed in mid-step, vanishing in a flash of green.

The hobgoblins, disciplined as they were, weren't afraid of the snake. They just knew how dangerous a cobra could be. Living plenty of times in the wild, vibrantly colored snakes were usually poisonous. One hobgoblin drew his sword and attempted to chop Andromeda in half. The dice rolled and showed a total of 22. The blade came down, cutting part of Andromeda's body, making her hiss in pain and take 4 slashing damage.

"Darling!" Medusa cried, hearing the pain of her familiar in their link.

She was cut off as the other two hobgoblins fired more arrows at the group, aiming for the goliath. One arrow missed, but the other sank into Thalai's chest. Worse, she took 8 damage, but thanks to her _Rage_ the piercing damage was halved to 4.

Romeus sang another _Vicious Mockery_ for another hobgoblin, who failed and took 3 psychic damage of his own. Rael gripped his sword and charged across the grass and moved to attack the hobgoblin at the far side of the field. The hobgoblin snarled, lowering his bow and going for his sword as Rael attacked. The dice only struck a 15, letting the hobgoblin block the sword with his own.

Andromeda hissed at the hobgoblin that struck her, angry that someone dared mar her scales. She rose up, wishing to make an attack of her own on the command of her partner. Medusa certainly didn't begrudge her and prepared to make the command.

"Come on, this time," Dorn grit his teeth, taking another arrow as he stepped to get a clear shot. Pulling back on the string, he fired. Again, he failed with a natural 1, "Oh holy crap! Really?!"

"HRAAAAAHHH!" Thalai roared, charging across the field towards the hobgoblin across from her. A yellow aura flared around her as she reached 20 feet, taking the appearance of a mammoth before she made her attack. She swung hard, the spirit of the mammoth infused into her. Her attack struck, the trunk of the mammoth striking at the same time as Thalia's axe, giving 8 slashing damage. There was a flash of yellow as the hobgoblin slammed to the ground as if struck by a mammoth, but then vanished.

"Heh! Told you that you were next," Thalai grinned.

Medusa gave a 'tsk', knowing that Andromeda was now out of range for an attack. Instead she moved past Kathra and fired an _Eldritch Blast._ The blast flew through the air, but the dice weren't favorable with just a 17. This gave the hobgoblin the chance to lift its shield, letting the magic crash against it, making him grunt from the effort.

Aryn followed up with that attack, firing another _Sacred Flame_, firing at the hobgoblin that Medusa had fired at. Once more the d20 rolled, this time coming up to a total of 8. Finally, the spell landed, striking the hobgoblin and making him roar in pain from the mystic assault as it took 4 radiant damage.

"Yes! Finally!" Aryn cheered, delighted her magic finally let her take part.

"And I'll finish it!" Kathra yelled, charging for the unoccupied hobgoblin. Just barely managing to reach the goblinoid before slashing at him. Her first strike missed completely thanks to the hobgoblin's footwork, but the second was a natural 20 which landed in a blazing blue strike. She pierced the hobgoblin straight through the torso, making him gurgle before he too exploded in blue.

Medea limped to a better angle and spied the last hobgoblin, looking bitter and nervous. "You're better off surrendering! Tell us what we want to know and we'll let you keep your life!" Her dice rolled again, this time for a Persuasion check as she spoke. Her dice showed a total of 6.

"Take your 'mercy' and shove in elf!" the hobgoblin snarled, looking around. He knew the battle was lost. He quickly used the _Disengage_ action, making his body flash red before it faded. He then turned and began running for the forest. Rael grunted and wanted to follow, but the initiative prevented it.

"Let him go," Dorn sighed. "We're in kind of rough shape as it is."

"Dammit," Rael sighed. Finally the weight on them from the battle initiative vanished, leaving them able to move freely again. "Anything else we should deal with tonight?"

"Don't tempt fate," Medus groaned. "Andromeda, sweetie? Are you okay?"

"_I don't like those red things,_" Andromeda hissed back, slithering up Medusa's arm once she came close enough to do so.

"Hopefully that will be the only encounter tonight," Kathra groaned, sheathing her swords. "Let's just finish eating and try to get some rest."

"Amen," Thalai and Romeus agreed.

The party settled back down around their fire, letting the adrenaline leave their bodies as they tried to make small talk. The sounds of the forest made them jumpy, but they began to relax with their friends around.

After they ate, Medea immediately took out her spellbook from her pack and began reorganizing which of her spells were prepared so she could use the new spells she learned from the last time she leveled up. She mentally reflected that she really should set up her spellbooks _before_ they go outside settlements where just about anything could jump them.

"What are you doing?" asked Aryn.

"Changing which spells I have prepared," Medea answered. "Wizards have to have spells prepared to use instead of having access to all of them. I should have done this back in Phandalin, but since I had plenty of blasting power, I figured I could have done it when we got closer to Thundertree."

"Goes to show prepping in everything pays off," Rael nodded. "Speaking of, Aryn, do you want to change your spell list too?"

"I can do that?" Aryn perked up.

"Clerics have the ability to change which spells they have prepped by praying to their gods," Kathra explained. "Some spells are always prepared depending on the domain, but some can be changed around depending on what the Cleric thinks they need. It makes them pretty versatile if they can get the time to prepare."

"Oh," Aryn blinked. "I guess that's why I haven't gotten any new spells the last two times I leveled up."

"Wait, you didn't ask why you didn't get new spells?" asked Romeus.

"I've never played Dungeons & Dragons before!" Aryn defended herself. "You said you'd explain how level us work when they happened! I just thought I'd get new spells at a certain point."

"Well, now you know better," Medea shrugged. "So just start praying to Eadro and start getting a new spell list going."

Aryn huffed, but then sat down cross-legged with her holy symbol before she began to pray. Normally she wasn't religious back home, but her character was. The triton immediately knew how to go through the rites of praying to Eadro. Since she was at level 3 and had a _Wisdom _modifier of +1, she could pick four spells to use. In hindsight, she should have put more points into her _Wisdom_ score, but she was new at the game and didn't know any better. Still, she at least had level 2 slots now.

Aryn's body began glowing faintly with a water-like energy as Eadro heard her even so far inland. She had all the available spells presented to her choice. _Fog Cloud_ and _Thunderwave_ were always prepared for her as part of the domain she followed. She also kept _Guiding Bolt _and _Cure Wounds._ For her level 2 spells, she chose _Hold Person_ and _Lesser Restoration_.

Medea finished her study, deciding to prepare _Burning Hands, Charm Person, Magic Missile, Sleep, Unseen Servant, Scorching Ray_, and _Web_. _Feather Fall_ and _Comprehend Languages_ weren't going to be needed for the time being.

While the two spellcasters were working on their list of spells, the others looked to what potential loot the goblins and the hobgoblins may have left behind. The goblins didn't have anything of value on them but their weapons and armor. The hobgoblins were slightly better, although their armor weren't anything new. All of the arrows did all members to restock arrows if they used any.

The only coin they had were copper pieces, which Romeus, Thalai, and Medea won. It felt like a poor compensation for the amount of fighting they had to do.

Finally, the group settled down to get some sleep. Kathra took the first watch in case more goblins or hobgoblins came around. Her swords were out and at the ready just in case.

She just had to pass the time until her watch ended.

(LINE BREAK)

The night passed without incident and the party collected themselves, feeling much better from the battle the previous night. Feeling better with the daylight hours on them, the party broke their camp before starting to head in the direction of Thundertree again.

"So, Aryn, Thalai, Medusa, how are you three holding up?" asked Dorn. "I mean, the rest of us are fantasy and D&D geeks so a lot of this is fun. You really don't know a whole lot about it."

"Well, I know more than someone who's new," Medusa shrugged, idly petting Andromeda's head. "It's…amazing, in a way. Knowing some of the background to the Sword Coast just makes it more amazing, hearing or seeing something I only thought was fantasy." She grinned at her brother, "If this is the kind of thing you picture whenever you guys play, I can understand part of why you love the game so much."

"Yeah, yeah, that's part of it," Dorn agreed with a chuckle. "Coming to a world of swords and magic, being able to go on an adventure, fight monsters, explore ruins, and meet all kinds of fantastic people. It's just a kind of thrill which made me fall in love with the game."

"I get it," Thalai chuckled. "I mean, I come here and I'm big and strong, and get to be such a badass. We get to do all kinds of things I don't get to do back home. It just breaks the idea of normal and I just love it!"

"Amen!" Kathra laughed. "Just being able to break out and do something wild is just the kind of thing I love to do!"

Aryn sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I have to admit, I was terrified. I mean, we got transported to some new world, new bodies, and now we're expected to go and hunt down some kind of mob boss and save an entire town of people. Oh, he's got a lead on a weapons factory too!"

"That…does sound a little scary," Rael agreed. "I guess we didn't freak out ourselves since we knew how to use the magic system and we were together to make it happen."

"Having your pals around does make it feel a little easier to take," Romeus nodded.

"Yeah," Aryn nodded. "I guess the reason I hadn't freaked out too badly was because I wasn't by myself. I wouldn't have even left the Crimson Dragon if I was by myself. And then there's all those things about Dungeons & Dragons I heard about."

"That was just crap that came up because people used drugs and got high while playing it," Kathra waved off the past. "Besides, back then there were a lot more worrywarts who thought anything which even mentioned devils was evil. It wasn't helped that some people took it too far, preferring to live in a fantasy instead of real life."

"Makes you wonder what their lives were like if they did that," Rael snorted. "People who get loopy like that likely had issues that people don't like to talk about so they ignored it hoping it would go away."

"And when it boils over, they blame anything except bad parents or a bad environment," Dorn shrugged. "But let's not get into the political stuff. We're here to have fun and try to get home. Not go over the nature vs. nurture debate."

"Yeah," Aryn chuckled. "So, I get the game is part about telling a story and the players interact about it. What's the part you have the most fun with?"

Dorn, Rael, Kathra, Medea, and Romeus immediately began to go into stories about their favorite parts of the game. Medusa grinned, finding it fun that her brother was so animated about something. Aryn felt herself relax a little more, feeling some security in having such a large group around her. Thalai just began asking her own questions about the best adventures the group had been on and what they did, earning more tales of dragons, ruins, and plots by evil.

Eventually the day began to wind down and the group once more began to make their camp while the sun sank over the horizon. The party prepared their bedrolls and got another campfire going.

"So, we should be getting close to Thundertree," Dorn commented, poking the fire with a stick. "We go north a little bit more then we'll be there."

"Okay. You mentioned the place got abandoned after a volcano erupted and made zombies appear?" asked Medea.

"Zombies?!" Aryn gasped.

"According to Sildar, the ash had some kind of mystic effect," Dorn explained. "The damage from the eruption, and then zombies running around, made everyone abandon the place and go try to settle someplace else."

"And this druid that knows where Wave Echo Cave is can be found there?" asked Medusa.

"His name's Reidoth. Supposedly he's the druid that helped Gundren and his brothers find the place," Dorn replied. "He's trying to figure out the nature of the taint in Thundertree and then how to get rid of it so the land can heal."

"So we find him, we ask him for the information, and then we go find Wave Echo Cave," Thalai nodded. "Simple enough."

"Simple, yeah," Kathra chuckled. "Knowing how adventures go, Reidoth is either in trouble or he'll want us to do something in return for the information."

"Well, at worst we'll probably have to kill some zombies," Medusa shrugged. "Are they hard to kill?"

"Well, depending on how hard you hit them, there's a chance they can get back up again," Dorn answered. "It's a saving throw thing. But we've got a bit of an advantage against them."

"We do?" asked Aryn. The five experienced members of the group looked to her expectantly. "W-wait? Me?"

"Sure. Your _Turn Undead_, ability," Medusa nodded. "When you use it, any undead in range turn and start running away from you. That can really help us against any zombie mobs we might end up facing."

"Better yet, once you hit a high enough level, it can even destroy lower tier undead," Kathra grinned. "Every class is pretty damn cool on the higher levels."

"Wow. I forgot about that," Aryn blinked.

"Shame we can't keep our character sheets on hand, but we're able to remember the important bits," Kathra shrugged. "You'll get it. We all did."

They made idle chat or discussed tactics moving into Thundertree as they ate their rations, not tired enough to sleep just yet. Rael excused himself to relieve himself as he moved to the edge of the clearing away from where the group would sleep. As he finished, a flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Frowning, he stepped closer and spotted a pair of red d4 dice with two 3s shifting into a pair of 4s.

A hiss came from the darkness of the nearby Neverwinter Wood and Rael grabbed Talon and slowly began walking away.

"Company!" he shouted, backpedaling away from the darkness. The rest of the group scrambled to get their weapons up as the hissing grew louder. Soon, they saw pale bodies coming out of the woods like feral beasts. They were human in shape, but their bodies were covered in rags and their bodies pale like the dead. Their hands looked like grotesque elongated claws with sharp teeth and a long tongue which slurped grotesquely.

"Ghouls!" Rael shouted, gripping Talon. He swiftly counted the numbers, finding eight of them in total. It was going to be a hard battle, but if they played it smart, they could prevail. "Everyone ready?"

"Initiative!" Medea snapped after she and Medusa cast _Mage Armor_.

"Food!" one of the ghouls hissed in evil glee as the initiative was set.

Dorn quickly drew an arrow and took aim at the largest cluster of ghouls. Pulling back on the string, he didn't immediately fire, but instead concentrated his power, "_Hail of Thorns!_" The arrow flashed green before he fired.

The arrow flew, flashing green before thorns grew from the shaft of the arrow and began splintering off, becoming a storm of sharp thorns. The initial attack rolled, coming to a 9 turned 16. The arrowhead impacted against the ghoul's chest, making it shriek in pain and take 6 damage. Once the arrow did it's work, that ghoul, and the three around it, all became peppered by the splinters. They all roared as d20's rolled to try and save them. Three managed to shield themselves, only taking a bit of damage, although the ghoul on the left took the splinters directly to their body.

"Was hoping for better," Dorn muttered.

Andromeda quickly slithered down from Medea's shoulders, going through the grass towards Rael, hiding in the grass near him. She dipped low in the grass, hiding from the vision of the ghouls. A Stealth check as made as she took the action, easily getting a 15, which had her vanish from the ghouls' vision.

The ghouls all roared like starving animals and charged across the field, each of them trying to get at the closest source of meat. The ghouls immediately stormed the campsite, claws raised as they prepared to begin slashing at their targets.

Dorn managed to dodge one ghoul's caws only to get slashed in the side by another, taking 8 damage. As he took the hit, he felt his body starting to stiffen up. A d20 rolled to show a total of 11, and he shook off the effect of the touch, but it was long enough for another ghoul to swipe at him, dealing another 7 damage, repeating the d20 roll. This time it was a 9 and Dorn suddenly felt his body sieze up, turning completely still.

Medea found two ghoul swiping at her, claws flashing. The first came in hard, but Medea reacted quickly and slammed the butt of her staff, "_Shield!_" the aura around her intensified and the claws bounced off of her, keeping her unharmed. The second fared no better, bouncing off her protections despite the 21 it rolled opposed to her 22.

'_Need to stop forgetting about this stuff,_" Medea mentally chided herself. This _Staff of Defense_ was too useful to keep forgetting!

Rael was attacked on three sides by the three ghouls that were attempting to attack him. They came in hard and swung, but Rael remained alert. None of them rolled higher than 12, allowing him to evade the blows or have them scrape harmlessly off of his armor.

"Dorn!" Kathra cried out. Drawing her swords, she charged round her friends and into the fray. Coming to one of the ghouls attacking her friend, she lunged with both blades. Her dice rolled well, going higher than the AC of the 12 of the ghoul, burying both swords into the ghoul's side. The undead screeched in pain, taking 13 slashing damage in a flash of red. "Take this you zombie freak!"

Aryn quickly grasped her holy emblem and looked to the mass of ghouls attacking her friends. Steeling herself, she lifted the symbol up and let it shine, "_Turn Undead!_"

A wave of sheer divine power washed over the area 30 feet away from where Aryn was the middle of it. As it touched each of the ghouls, each of them had a d20 appear for a saving throw. Three of the ghouls succeeded, but the remaining ghouls screeched, clutching their eyes in the pain from the divine power.

"Good job Aryn!" Rael cheered. "Now we can start with these ones! _Searing Smite!_" He ran his hands along Talon and letting the blade ignite. Once the spell resolved, he swung hard down on the ghoul in front of him. The spell struck hard, making the ghouls shriek as it's body ignited on fire. From the strike, it took 12 slashing damage and 1 fire damage.

Thalai took her turn and immediately flew into a rage, coming to another ghoul which wasn't screeching in pain from Aryn's holy power. Gripping her axe, she aimed to try and split the ghoul in half with a roar. A roll of 4 turned 9 sadly was not enough and her axe just dug into the ground instead.

Romeus gulped, looking around at the screaming or snarling ghouls. He knew this wasn't the time to hold back and he had to go all out. He quickly picked a ghoul which Turn Undead hasn't affected and quickly making his ominous, "_Dissonant Whispers!_" His tune reached the ghoul who snarled and clutched it's ears, but it didn't run as it's saving throw managed to succeed, giving it 6 of the 12 damage it should have taken.

"Ah crud," he groaned.

"Bite!" Medusa hissed for her familiar. Andromeda quickly responded, striking at the burning ghoul in front of her. A total of 24 had her fangs sink deep into the ghoul's thigh. Normally ghouls were immune to poison damage and immune to being poisoned, but Andromeda was no ordinary snake. One of her abilities was to treat immunity to poison as resistance instead and ignore immunity to the poisoned condition. It did have advantage against being poisoned though.

The ghoul roared, not noticing the bite as it was burning from Rael's strike. It failed with a measly 9, taking the poison damage starting at 2, but was reduced to 1. Still, that was enough as green veins spread over the ghoul's body and it collapsed, exploding in motes of green and yellow.

Medea grit her teeth at the ghoul snarling in front of her. Rather than frowned, she instead grinned maliciously before she raised her hand and pointed it at the ghoul's face, "_Magic Missile!_" The ghoul's eyes widened before three darts of purple magic energy crashed into it at close range. The spell was versatile, not needing attack rolls, they just hit although for minimal damage. Three d4 dropped, totaling 10 with modifiers.

The ghoul stumbled back with a roar of pain, it's face smoking from the impacts. Medea just waved off the smoke from her palm.

"I'll suck the marrow from your bones!" the undead hissed venomously, it's face covered in glowing red marks.

"Gonna have to actually touch me to do that," Medea retorted.

Meanwhile Dorn was struggling inside of his own body to break the paralysis the ghoul put onto him. Paralysis in D&D entailed being unable to move, failing strength or dexterity checks, all attack rolls on the victim had advantage, and scariest of all, any hit which came from a creature within 5 feet were automatically a critical. It was a scary condition to be under, although living through it just made it worse for Dorn. Unable to move and seeing the fighting running around him, he struggled to break it.

In his struggles, his d20 appeared again and rolled to try and help him. Fortunately, he landed on an 18 turned 21 and his body immediately loosened, letting him slump over as he took in the deep breaths he wanted rather than the measured breathing he was forced to take.

"Ugh, dammit!" he cursed. He tried to draw his swords to fight, but his body felt sluggish and slow, indicating that his turn had ended. "Oh, come on!"

Andromeda decided to stay where she was, wondering which of the ghouls she would bite if or when her partner made the call. As she was deciding though, the ghouls began their turn. Immediately, the ones who recoiled from Aryn's magic immediately turned and began to run away from her, not wishing to be exposed to the divine power she wielded. No one tried for an attack of opportunity, knowing if the ghouls took damage, the _Turn Undead_ would end and they would go on the attack again.

Only two ghouls remained, one hissing "COWARDS!" before lunging for Medea while another made for Dorn, seeing him as easy prey. Dorn's ghoul managed to slash him a second time while he was recovering, making another red line across his body and dealing another 9 damage. Once again, he had to try to save against the ghoul's touch, and once again failing with a natural 1, stiffening once again. The second slashed at Medea but missed entirely with a natural 1.

"Oh no you don't!" Kathra shouted, moving to lunge at the ghoul that attacked her friend. Her swords flashed, aiming for its unarmored skin. Sadly, the ghoul danced around her, its emaciated body giving it more dexterity.

Aryn saw her friend's brother being hacked at by the ghouls numerous times and quickly ran to his side. Gripping his shoulder, she evoked her magic to help him, "_Cure Wounds, Second Level!_"

Immediately, soothing blue water-like magic began to swirl around Dorn's paralyzed form. In the midst of it, two d8 rolled and with Aryn's magic modifier, came to a total of 13. Many of the red marks on Dorn's body faded and a sigh of relief came from his paralyzed lips, but he didn't break free from the ailment.

"Huh? I thought you'd be able to move," Aryn blinked.

"He's paralyzed! You need a restorative spell or something to make it work!" Kathra added from her spot. Aryn huffed, wondering why Dungeons & Dragons had to have so many complicated rules. It was like splitting hairs! Couldn't healing wounds remove ailments or something too? What was wrong with making it simple?

Rael grit his teeth, looking to the next ghoul for him to target. He had hoped that fire damage would do something extra to the ghoul, but apparently not. Instead, he gripped Talon in both hands and began swinging at the ghoul, "Eat steel!"

His dice was good with a total of 16, burying the blade into the ghoul's body. It shrieked in pain, but Rael wasn't done. Gripping the blade, he focused on the shining power within, "_Divine Smite! First Level!_" Talon unleashed a shining light from the sword, eliciting a higher shriek from the ghoul, the light dealing more damage than it should have on anything else. From the impact, a d10 for the sword, and 3d8 from the _Divine Smite_ all rolled to total.

The ghoul didn't vanish into lights as the other as it seemed to vanish in a shining blast by the power of Rillifane Rallathil. It may have been overkill, but the chance of not doing enough damage and letting the ghoul attack again was a risk he didn't want to take.

"Ha! Showoff!" Thalai laughed before she charged towards the last ghoul and swinging at it with her axe. A total of 16 was more than enough and her axe crashed down on the monster, dealing 12 damage as a huge red gash-like streak ran through the ghoul's body.

"I'll finish it off," Romeus offered, and quickly played a _Vicious Mockery_ to add insult to injury for the attack on the struggling ghoul. Sadly, it succeded on the saving throw, making Romeus grumble.

"_I'll_ finish it off," Medusa laughed, moving around her friends to get a clear shot at the ghoul with her mace. Swinging the weapon hard, she aimed right for it's bald head. A total of 18 had the mace crack down on the ghoul's head with a sickening crack. For a brief moment, the ghoul's head changed shape before it vanished in another haze of lights.

"Okay, what about the rest?" asked Medusa, pulling her mace back. She looked to the remaining ghouls that had run for it.

"_Turn Undead_ only lasts for one minute or until we hurt them," Medea explained. "If we try to break combat, they'll eventually just try to follow us. We should just bring them down now so we have a safe campsite."

"I agree," Kathra nodded. "Medea, you want to try your luck?"

"I'll try to pick off the weakened ones," Medea nodded. She stepped forward so she could have a clear shot. Gesturing with her free hand, she pointed it out and announced her spell, "_Scorching Ray!_" Three fireballs emerged around her hands before screaming across the field towards the two ghouls who were wounded. One aimed for the more injured ghoul while two aimed at the lightly harmed ghoul.

Her dice rolled, one for each fireball. The first was a natural 20, crashing against the second ghoul before being followed up by the second fireball, both exploding in a nice blast, earning shrieks from the ghoul before it was incinerated. The third fireball struck the gravely wounded ghoul with a roll of 23, dealing 6 damage, incinerating that ghoul as well.

"Wow. That was just a level 2 spell?" asked Thalai.

"Yup," Medea grinned. "But one of those was a natural 20."

"Hm. Maybe I should try to learn magic somehow," the goliath pondered.

Once again, Dorn struggled to end the paralytic effect on his body. This time sadly, he failed, unable to move as his turn ended.

While Andromeda slithered back to Medusa, taking her perch on her shoulders, the ghouls just kept running, vanishing into the forest and the darkness within. Kathra had an arrow notched, ready to fire if the ghouls tried to come back. After several moments, the ghouls didn't return and the group heaved some sigh of relief.

"Okay, let's try to pack up our camp and find a better spot," Rael announced. "Away from the woods so we have a better chance to see those things coming if they try again."

"I'll heal Dorn," Aryn offered, burning her last 2nd Level spell slot to cast _Lesser Restoration._

"Guh," Dorn groaned, moving at long last. "Dammit. Ghouls suck."

"Yeah, but let's get some space before that _Turn Undead_ wears off and they come back looking for meat," Kathra huffed.

It was a nervous party which got several yards away from the forest and reset their camp. Adrenaline kept them from sleeping right away. A guard duty keeping an eye in the forest along with other areas where attacks could come from.

As Medea took her turn to watch, she could only ponder, '_Do we have signs on our backs that say 'easy meat' or did the DM just find it funny?_'

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

Dawn came and the adventurers got their camp back together before they set off north again. Their eyes were kept on their surroundings as they anticipated seeing more ghouls or zombies as they got closer to Thundertree. Still, they were worried, wondering just how bad the corruption was if it was spawning ghouls along with zombies.

After about five miles of walking as the sun began its rise into the sky, the group saw the upcoming ruined town, placed right where Sildar's directions said it would be. The group walked on the overgrown path which led into the ruined town.

The town itself was the definition of a ghost town, only in a medieval fantasy setting. Large, thick trees grew over the buildings, of which half of them seemed to be more like walls standing up and the roofs had caved in. Trees grew well above the ruins and the brush was overgrown, making the place looking truly wild and abandoned. What made the creep factor worse was that the group knew that zombies were running around as well.

"Well, how do we do this?" asked Kathra. "Split up?"

"May have to," Dorn nodded. "Despite being abandoned, this place is still big." He pointed out to the two sides of the town from their southern position. "One of us will take the left side while the others take the right. We'll meet up after exploring the two ends. I'd suggest the tower in the distance."

"Okay, we can do that," Medusa nodded, crossing her arms over her staff. "So how do we split the teams? Keep to our parties?"

"Why break a winning combo?" asked Medea with a smile.

"Let's do this!" Thalai grinned, lifting her axe.

The group took a moment to check their supplies and make sure they were prepared for trouble, if only to soothe their nerves. The two lady spellcasters of their groups cast M_age Armor_ before they split off towards the east and west sides of the village.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Thalai, Aryn, Romeus, Medusa**

The group of Barbarian, Cleric, Bard, and Warlock traveled through the brush before coming to the abandoned village proper. They came out onto the path, what dirt rut that it was, as they came to a building on their left and one through a canopy of trees with a yard...or behind a broken building which only had a foundation.

"Okay, where to first?" asked Medusa.

"We do it like adventurers. Systematically search everything," Romeus nodded, rotating his shoulder. He pointed to the building to their left. Seeing no arguments, Romeus took the lead as they approached the door of the building.

Romeus stuck his head into the building, which seemed to be about a 20x20 square building. Inside seemed to be a forge, having an anvil, a forge, and numerous tools scattered about. There were also a pair of bodies, looking like they were dried out and covered with ashes along with their rotten smithing clothes.

As Romeus set foot inside of the building, the bodies shuddered and the two bodies began to push themselves up, groaning is raspy and dry voices as they tried to get their bearings on their new targets.

"Okay, backing up!" Romeus said hurriedly as he pushed his friends back.

The ashen zombies groaned and shambled for the door of the ruined building as the group of four grabbed their weapons. Since they had the space, they used to ready themselves before calling for their initiative, letting the dice fly.

The initiative fell in favor of the group, as the zombies rolled dead last thanks to a subtraction being added to their initiative. Medusa took the lead as she lifted her hand and took aim at the first of the zombies, "_Eldritch Blast!_"

Medusa's green d20 flew, showing a total of 18 which had the beam of serpentine green energy crashed into the first zombie with a blast of arcane energy. As the beam crashed into the zombie, a cloud of ashes fell from the zombie's body as the damage was dealt. The d10 revealed an 8, turning to a 10 with the _Agonizing Blast_ Eldritch Invocation.

"My turn!" Thalai laughed, charging for the untouched zombie with her axe raised high. Coming in, she reared back her weapon and swing her axe at it. Her dice showed a 7 turned 12 which let the axe crash into the zombie. As the weapon struck, a cloud of ash exploded from the zombie, coating Thalai and causing her to cough and hack.

"Thalai!" Aryn cried out. As she waved the cloud away, her d20 flew of its own accord, landing on a 1, instant failure. Thalai almost dropped her axe as she coughed and hacked, wheezing from the ash she had inhaled.

"*COUGH!* Can't *COUGH!* breathe!" Thalai gagged as the ash cloud dispersed. The d12 rolling a 12 turned 15 was unnoticed by the group while a deep gash was pushed through the zombie's torso.

"I'll help!" Romeus nodded, drawing his rapier before charging for the zombie facing Thalia. He thrust with his weapon, letting his d20 fly, landing on a natural 20, making the die and his blade shine as it crashing into the zombie. Two d8 flew, with modifiers, totaled 8 damage. The strike made the zombie screech before its torso was cut in half, both pieces exploding into yellow and purple light.

"I got it!" Romeus grinned.

"And I'll finish the last one!" Aryn called, lifting her holy symbol. "_Sacred Flame!_" She collected the ocean-like flames into her symbol before she launched it at the zombie. The undead creature seemed to realize what the attack was and tried to move as quickly as its shambling muscles could. Amusingly, it's d20 appeared only to show a 1, meaning a failure. The flame crashed into it with a roar. Her d8 showed a 6, harming the zombie, but not ending it.

The zombie moaned and shambled for Romeus, one of the closest people to it. The halfling yelped as it lunged for an attack. Fortunately, it only rolled a total of 12, missing the small halfling.

"_Eldritch Blast!_" Medusa called, firing another volley of her trusty cantrip. The dice were good to her, dealing 9 turned 12 damage. The zombie grunted, stumbling from the blow and looked like it was about to fall over. As it did, a d20 appeared, rolling to show a 12 turned 15. Whatever it was for wasn't enough as the zombie fell over, exploding into lights.

"*COUGH! COUGH!* Thanks," Thalai huffed. "Stupid ashes."

After a minute for Thalai to catch her breath, coughing the last of the ashes out of her lungs. The zombies had no loot on them, anything of value either rusted to uselessness or just rotten.

"That was fun," Aryn huffed. "So we kill zombies, got some experience, and nothing else to show for it."

"Well, we're exploring anyway," Romeus shrugged. "So which way do we go? Do we go east and then north to circle around to meet in the middle again?"

"May as well," Medusa shrugged.

The group stepped out of the old smithy and moved north, following the path and coming to another ruined shop. It was easy to tell with the sagging shelves and lines of books inside. However, the items on the shelves were ruined or downright spoiled. What books were left behind were messes of mold and rot. There was nothing of value and the group took different areas for Perception checks, although none of them barely got higher than 11.

Further north, the path split north and west, where a tower was inside a grove of trees which had a missing roof. Next to the group was another ruined building which had a faded sign, marking it as a general store. Romeus took the lead of the group as they approached the store they stopped as they saw what looked like white webbing coming out of the doorway and making a terrifying opening for the arachnophobic of the group, which was Thalai.

"Aw shit. I hate spiders," Thalai trembled.

"Well...we might find something good inside," Medusa offered weakly. She remembered hearing her brother say in one of his games that spider cocoons had some loot in them.

"But...spiders," Aryn grimaced. As the girliest girl, she of course hated spiders. Not feared them like Thalai did, she just thought they were gross.

"Oh, we can just burn the webs out," Romeus shrugged. "So we'll light up a torch and throw it into the webs, simple enough."

Thalai seemed to take solace in that as she drew a torch from her pack and set it on fire. Taking it, she handed the fire to Romeus who sighed before throwing the torch at the entry to the webbed up store. The flames were quick to ignite on the webbing, spreading across the silk and clearing the front of the store.

Inside, there was a screech, indicating that something was alive inside of the store. Romeus' eyes widened as a giant spider emerged from the doorway. He'd dealt with such creatures in the game before, but seeing an actual giant spider in front of him was simply something else.

"Ahhhhh!" he cried out, turning tail and running from the massive arachnid back towards his friends.

"Don't bring it this way!" Thalai shrieked, sounding squeaky.

"Oh just kill it! Initiative!" Medusa shouted as Aryn shrieked, hiding behind her. The dice flew, beginning the controlled battle for the group. The dice landed, giving Aryn the first move as the spider hissed. Seeing her trembling friend, Medusa groaned, "Aryn, you get to go first! Blast it!"

Aryn whimpered and gazed at the giant spider before she aimed her symbol at it, "_S-Sacred Flame!_" The light of the symbol grew and the flame was launched at at the arachnid. A red d20 flew, indicating its Dexterity saving throw. The dice landed on a 19 turned 22. The flame flew wide from Aryn's trembling arm and hit the side of the building instead of the spider.

"Oh shit!" Romeus gulped, but produced his lute, "_Vicious Mockery!_" He played his song, using the fastest insults he could think of on the spider. Another d20 flew from the spider, this time for a Wisdom saving throw, showing a 10 with no modifiers. The enchanted music made the spider screech as it was struck for 3 damage as well as giving it a disadvantage in its next attack.

"Fuck," Medusa hissed, lifting her arm and unleashing her trusty spell, "_Eldritch Blast!_" She launched the serpentine blast which also summoned her d20. The die landed on a 16 turned 21, letting the serpent beam smash into the spider. Her d10 flew, dealing a total of 6 damage to the spider, eliciting another shriek.

"Thalai!" Medusa shouted to her Barbarian friend.

"Do I have to?" Thalai whimpered.

"GO!"

Thalai whimpered and looked to the spider, but then rather than rush in with her axe, she grabbed one of her javelins and reared it back before throwing it at the spider. The dice flew with it, showing a 13 turned 16, having the javelin pierce the spider's body. The arachnid screeched and took only 3 damage, showing a d6 with only 1 added to it as dexterity was used instead of strength.

Andromeda quickly slithere off of Medusa's shoulders, moving for the tall grass before she headed towards the giant spider. As she got close, she attempted to hide from the arachnid's vision. She rolled a 5, but with her high Stealth modifier, it became a 12, which led the Imperial Cobra hide from their vision.

The spider screeched and from behind it, there was more movement as another giant spider emerged from the ruined store, looking as pissed off as the first one. The first spider screeched and lifted its abdomen before a blast of webbing at Romeus, since he was still in the lead. Two d20 rolled, due to the disadvantage, showing a 17 and 4, the 4 taking effect. The webbing flew wide and missed Romeus, splattering against the ground harmlessly.

The second spider attempted the same, aiming at Thalai instead. It's d20 rolled, landing on a 17 turned 22. The web flew and splattered onto Thalai, covering her and pinning her down.

"Ahhhh! Ahhh!" Thalai screamed, struggling inside the webbing.

"Calm down! We can just cut you out!" Romeus shouted to Thalai.

"THEN DO IT!" the goliath woman shrieked.

Aryn trembled and pointed her symbol at the wounded spider before attempting to attack it again, hoping she wouldn't have to touch it, "_Sacred Flame!_" The magical attack flew and the red d20 for a saving throw fell from the spider, revealing a 3 turned 6, meaning a failure as the magical fire crashed into the spider with a pained screech. The d8 rolled, showing a measly 1 damage to the spider, making Aryn whimper.

Romeus quickly moved towards Thalai and drew his sword and tried to begin cutting at the webbing around the Goliath. As his blade tried cutting into the webbing, his d20 rolled again. His die showed a 15 turned 18, letting the blade begin hacking at the webbing, a d8 rolling to show a total of 5. Once the die set, the webbing snapped and the barbarian was freed.

"Ew! Ew! Ew! Getitoff!" she cried, brushing at herself.

"Fighting right now!" Medusa snapped, pointing at the wounded spider again. "_Eldritch Blast!_" Her dice rolled, showing a total of 22 as the blast crashed against the spider. A d10 to rolled an 8 turned 10. The spider stumbled back its chitin body cracked and red light spilling from the cracks.

Thalai struggle to pull the last of the webbing off. Wimpering again as she felt her turn come up, she instead just grabbed another javelin and threw it at the spider. The dice ran true with a total of 18, letting the javelin pierce the spider directly in it's face for 5 damage. The spider screeched and curled up before exploding into lights, leaving the two used javelins behind.

"One down!" Medusa cheered.

Andromeda kept where she was, preparing to move again while the spider began to move. Hissing in arachnid rage, a dice rolled as its body attempted to recover from using up its Web ability. It rolled a 1 on a d6, meaning it hadn't recovered. Not that it mattered as it jumped at Thalai at an attempt to bite her. It rolled a 15 turned 20, leaping and biting into Thalai's shoulder, making her scream both in pain, and the fact that a giant spider was on top of her.

The bite did 5 damage, but Thalai pushed the spider off as she felt wobbly. At her side, her d20 flew in a saving throw while using her Constitution. The dice showed a total of 13 which allowed her to shrug off the spider's poison. She still took another 4 poison damage from it, leaving a slight burning in her veins.

Emboldened by Thalai's courage, despite her screams, as well as seeing the spider was weakened, Aryn gripped her trident and charged for the spider. Coming to its side, she lunged with the trident, using both hands to try and pierce its side. Her dice rolled a 12, turning to a 15 which let the trident dig into the spider's hide with a flash of red. A d8 rolled a 4 turned 5 for damage.

"Okay, let's go!" Romeus called, lifting his lute for another _Vicious Mockery_. He played the insulting music which had the spider's Wisdom saving throw which had an 11 turned 8. The music crashed into the spider, making it screech in pain. He only did 2 damage, but it was a status effect as well.

"And the big blow goes to me!" Medusa grinned, moving for a clear shot on the spider and unleashing another _Eldritch Blast_. However, the blast flew wide as the spider lowered itself, singing the hairs on its back. Medusa cursed, "Dammit!"

"_RAGE!_" Thalai finally roared, hoping to use the Rage ability to stave off her fear. With a roar, she swung her axe down at the creature. A 12 turned 17 hat the axe bury itself in the spider's back, eliciting another screech of pain in a flash of red. Her dice rolled an 11 which became a total of 16, meaning her axe went in _deep_.

'_I am ready. Tell me when to bite,_' Andromeda hissed, eying the spider.

"We'll see darling," Medusa frowned.

The spider, wounded and clearly realizing it was in over it's head, attempted to turn around and flee away from the party. Aryn wasn't having it as she lunged with her trident. Sadly, she missed and the spider continued fleeing past the ruined home and scuttling away in the long grass, abandoning it's lair.

"Fucking hate spiders!" Thalai hissed, trembling despite the rage she was in.

"I thought big bugs ere supposed to be easy to beat," Aryn groaned. "Why is everything we fight out here so tough?"

"We're advancing so the enemies get tougher," Romeus sighed, rubbing sweat from his brow. "Thalai, you okay?"

"Just…peachy," Thalai spoke through grit teeth as she tore the last remains of the webbing from her body. "Is that spider going to come back?"

"Likely not anytime soon. If the wounds don't kill it, something else might. If it lives, it may come back later," Medusa shrugged. "Enough time we can look for loot anyway."

"Please no," Aryn whimpered.

"We have to," Medusa sighed. "We might find a clue or at least some spoils."

Thalai and Aryn quickly backed off and let Romeus and Medusa step into the building and look around for any enemies. They did Perception checks to find trouble, but they didn't find any more spiders or other enemies hiding among the webs which were draped everywhere.

What they did find was a large web cocoon. Romeus grimaced at the sighed, but he rolled a dice with Medusa to see who would cut it open. Romeus lost as he rolled odds and had to cut the cocoon open with his sword. A couple of slashes and a withered corpse stumbled out, collapsing in a cloud of dust.

"Waugh!" Romeus cried, stumbling back.

"Ew," Medusa gagged. "What is that?"

Romeus leaned in, peering at the corpse. It appeared to be a humanoid, an elf if the ears were any indication. He was dressed in leather armor and had a short sword on him. With how mummified he appeared, it seemed that the spiders had drained him after catching him.

"Well, a victim," Romeus replied. Rolling the body over, he found a pouch inside one of the pockets. Retrieving it, he found a _Potion of Healing_ inside along with 23 pieces of gold and another 35 pieces of silver. "Dibs on the potion."

"Spoils go to everyone else," Medusa reminded him.

The money was split between the group and they continued north. As they passed with the tower in the distance, the group was sure that they could hear a rumbling. It was concerning, but they all wrote it off to the volcano which more or less ruined the village in the first place. They came to the town square, one of the only spots the overgrowth wasn't smothering. All that was there was a statue of a human, although it was slightly worn down to individual features will a little harder to see.

The group ignored the statue, none of them really seeing a point to exploring the statue. They continued on, walking to a building in the west of the town square. The building still looked mostly intact, faring better than most of the others.

Romeus stepped forward and touched the wooden door to the building, finding unlocked. It groaned as it opened and they stepped inside. The building was dim, arrow slits giving some light which allowed the group to see where they were.

"So, looting?" asked Thalai.

"Maybe, but I doubt anything's here," Medusa shrugged. "Let's explore."

The group stuck together and walked down the hall, looking for anything of interest. When they came to the end, they saw a pair of doors, one on either side, leading to others rooms.

"Let's split up gang!" Aryn smiled. "Me and Thalai will go left and Medusa and Romeus can go right."

"I suppose so," Medusa shrugged. The group split apart and each took a door, opening them to see what was inside. Stepping through, they stopped as they saw rusted weapons and broken or overturned wooden furniture. As they got into each of their rooms, the ashes shuddered before they rose, revealing more zombies. Three squared off against Thalai and Aryn while two more faced Medusa and Romeus.

The zombies were covered in old layers of ash, but also rusted and torn surcoats and chainmail. They weren't armed, which was helpful since zombies with their own strength and abilities were difficult enough.

The battle started on both sides, but the dice seemed to be good for the party as they hacked down the undead with a few strikes as they worked together. The ashes which flew from the zombies when they were struck made ability checks difficult and make disadvantaged attack rolls. Aryn took a total of 6 damage from that, but with time, effort, and frustration, the party cut the zombies down in flashes of their respective colors.

"There. That wasn't such a chore," Aryn huffed, hefting her trident over her shoulder. She, along with her friends, were covered in ash. Aryn herself had a bright red spot on her chest from where a zombie had smashed into her.

"And aside from experience, nothing to show for it," Medusa sighed before she picked up Andromeda. "Are you alright sweetling? Did the ashes make you sick?" Andromeda hissed back as Medusa cooed over her.

"Still, XP is XP and we need it to close the gap with the others," Thalai coughed, hacking out the last of the ash in her lungs. "Okay, moving on!"

"I suppose," Romeus scratched his head.

The group left the ruined barracks and traveled down the road towards the south end again. They passed a ruined cottage. The walls were more or less gone and overgrown shrubs surrounded it. Since it was so empty, none of the group really think anything was inside.

Walking past, they didn't notice as a red d20 rolled onto the dirt path behind them, showing a natural 20. None of the group members noticed. As the die came to a stop with the reading, it flashed red and disappeared. At the same time, the shrubs on either side of the road suddenly shifted before _standing up_ and charged at the group.

"The fuck?!" Thalai gasped, seeing what appeared to be six small humanoid figures made entirely of roots or some other kind of wood. They sported wide claws and more roots sticking up from their heads, the lengths of wood coiled together with hollow eyes.

The six creatures all let off shrieks and ran at the four adventurers without warning or any kind of hesitations. In that moment, Romeus had to wonder if the DM was just helping them grind or liked to watch the fights since they had been getting jumped or having random encounters over and over again. Where was the story development?

"Initiative!" Aryn called out of reflex. The dice flew and the initiative was set with the blights near the end. This gave the party the first chance to fight the strange plant monsters.

The small blights were absolutely vicious. They raced for the party and tried to claw at them. However, the party proved lucky with their dice rolls and avoided them. Unfortunately for the creatures, they turned out to be rather fragile. Medusa even blasted one before they got close. Only Romeus took a small amount of damage before the rest of the party cut down all but one blight. The last blight futilely attempted to claw Romeus again but failed. It managed to dodge Romeus and Thalai, only to be skewered by Aryn's trident.

The group sheathed their weapons, preparing to move on as the twig blights didn't have anything resembling spoils on them. Preparing to move on, Medusa stopped when she saw three figures in black cautiously approaching the group from inside one of the nearby buildings.

"We have company," she muttered, making her friends snap to attention.

The three men were dressed in black outfits, their cloaks resembling dragon wings and all of them wearing masks which resembled dragon faces. They were looking at the adventurers with suspicion and caution.

"Who goes there?" the leader asked, a man with shoulder length white hair.

"A group of adventurers," Medusa replied, her friends closing ranks with her. "We seek the druid Reidoth who has been studying the land here. Is he nearby?"

The man frowned in thought for a moment before he nodded, "We have seen him here. We don't deal with him, but we see him."

"Is he nearby?" asked Romeus.

"Hard to say," the leader of the men shrugged. "We're all dealing with a dangerous being which has settled here. We've been preparing to entreat with it. If Reidoth is anywhere, he will likely be observing it."

"And what entity is this?" asked Aryn.

The man pointed to the tower in the distance, "A green dragon has settled inside the tower and poses a threat to the surrounding area. We seek to entreat with it, but Reidoth wishes to somehow drive it away. Either way, he is likely near the tower."

"A...dragon?" Thalai gaped.

Romeus blinked, "Wow...okay. So...tower, yeah?"

"Yes, the tower," the leader of the men smirked. "No doubt a druid would wish to try and keep the dragon away. Still, we hope to entreat with it and hopefully convince it to leave or at least leave the surrounding area alone."

Medusa frowned slightly as the man spoke. Digging her d20 out, she let it drop to the ground as she whispered for an Insight check. Unseen to her, a red d20 fell from the three men. The green die landed on a total of 5. The red die landed on a 4, but turned to a 6. Both dice vanished and Medusa nodded to herself. The man seemed to be truthful to her.

"So, he's at the tower," Medusa nodded. "Is the dragon there at the moment?"

"He's always there unless he gets hungry," the leader of the men nodded. "We were preparing to entreat with it since it seems to be in a good mood for the time being. There are only six of us so any extra magic and muscle to help us would be really appreciated."

The group looked to one another. Aryn glanced to her friends, "So what do we do?"

"Well, if the dragon really is there, some backup would be nice," Romeus frowned. "And Reidoth might be there just the same. In case this is a double cross though, we'll need to be careful. We are going in blind here."

"Should we find Dorn and the others?" asked Thalai.

"As long as we've been here, they're probably getting ready to meet us there anyway," Medusa shrugged. "We can meet up there and see if they found Reidoth or they can help us with this dragon. Can you admit that Phandalin can survive a dragon hanging around here?"

"Good point," Romeus grimaced.

The group broke and turned back to the three men with Medusa taking the lead, "Alright, we'll go with you to the tower. Any funny business, and we'll have to feed you to that dragon, provided its really there."

"Perfectly fair," the man nodded. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Favric, leader of this group from The Order of the Dragon."

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Dorn, Rael, Kathra, Medea**

"Dorn, calm down. They'll be fine," Medea sighed as Dorn kept glancing in the direction his sister and other friends went as they entered Thundertree.

"I know...but, come on. Can you blame me?" Dorn sighed, scratching his head.

"No, but you're letting it distract you," the wizard retorted. "Get your head in the game. We don't know what's crawling around here so we'd better stay sharp."

"Right," Dorn nodded.

"Relax. She's not alone and they're all level 3 so they'll be fine," Rael tried to reassure his friend.

Dorn nodded, but steeled himself for what lay ahead as they stepped into Thundertree proper. To their right was a ruined cottage, the roof gone and the walls crumbling. On the left was one of the few solid buildings that remained.

"So how should we find Reidoth?" asked Kathra. "We don't have much magic which can help us do that."

"The old standby," Medea smiled. "We just systematically search our side of Thundertree and see what we find."

"Even the ruined stuff?" asked Rael, pointing to the ruined cottage on their right.

"We should. It might net us some loot," Medea shrugged. "No one here is using it."

"Right," Rael nodded, splitting off from the group to step into the ruined cottage. "Be right back."

Rael stepped into the ruined cottage and decided to simply search it, kicking away rubble and blocks. He didn't think he'd find anything to be honest, but knowing a druid, he was probably disguised as an animal so they had to be thorough. Still, the most interesting thing he noted was that a tree had broken through the floor in the corner of the ruins and grew to a respectable height.

"Anything?" asked Kathra, following after him.

"Just a tree, no signs of life," Rael answered.

Dorn kept an eye on things outside of the house, worries about his sister aside, his Passive Perception at 15 allowed him a sharp eye about his surroundings, which made him the unofficial lookout of the group. He didn't expect anything more than some zombies, but as the lookout, he had to keep his eyes and his wits sharp.

'_If only Medusa would stay with us instead of splitting up,_' he thought ruefully to himself.

Thoughts of his sister being apart from him in dangerous terrain just made him want to groan. Se deep in that melancholy, he almost missed it. Where he stood on the western side of the cottage on the path, he saw two small figures rushing for the north entrance. They were small and looked like creatures made of twigs, but they didn't look friendly by any means. As an avid D&D player, he already knew what they were.

"Blights!" he shouted, quickly drawing his bow. "Initiative!"

"W-what?" Medea gasped, taken by surprise from Dorn's sudden shout. The same could be said for Rael and Kathra inside the cabin as their dice appeared and set the order of attack. Dorn had the luck of rolling a total of 22, beating the blights' 21 and letting him go first among his friends.

Dorn quickly drew an arrow and took aim at one of the blights at the entrance of the cottage. As he drew it back, his d20 rolled for his attack, landing on a total of 24 before he fired it. The arrow cut through the air with deadly precision and impacted against one blight's head, knocking the creature to the ground where it vanished in a haze of green.

The death didn't seem to bother the second blight as it charged into the house, claws at the ready as it moved to swipe at Kathra. The dwarf girl blinked, eyes wide at the walked twig pile as it lunged at her, claws flashing. The dice rolled a total of 17, letting the wood talons claw against Kathra's torso, making her yell at the surprise pain.

On the south side of the cottage, unbeknownst to the rest of the party, two more twig blights crept to the southern entrance to the cottage, their hollow eyes betraying nothing, but still gleaming with their evil thoughts.

"Dammit," Dorn hissed before he began using his movement to get to the house. Coming to the norther entrance, he saw the light confronting Kathra. Quickly drawing an arrow, he took aim at it while shouting, "Kathra, watch out!"

His d20 flew, landing on a total of 26 as the arrow flew, impacting the blight's spine as his d8 rolled a 3 turned 6. The monster shrieked before collapsing, exploding into green light.

"Jeez! Where the hell did these things come from?" asked Rael, drawing his sword.

"Wherever the holes twig blights crawl out from are," Dorn huffed. "You guys okay?"

"It clawed me, but I'm fine," Kathra rubbed her abdomen. "Are there any more?"

"Dunno," Dorn sighed before he leaned back, seeing Medea, "Medea, check the other side of the house!"

Just as he spoke the words, the two twig blights appeared in the doorway of the house, snarling as they raised their claws for the fight. Kathra, Rael, and Dorn all took notice of them and readied their weapons as the plant monsters snarled at them.

"Oh no you don't!" Kathra frowned, drawing her shortswords before she charged at the two blights. Coming at them, she slashed wide, her d20 rolling a 12 turned 17 which had her blade dig into the blight's hide. She didn't even look to her damage dice as her blade bisected the blight, making it flash blue before it vanished.

Unsatisfied, Kathra turned her attention to the other blight before she used her remaining action to slice at it. Again, the dice rolled, showing a 5 turned 13 which allowed her blade to singas it stuck into the throat of the blight, making a choking sound before it likewise vanished.

Again, more blights began creeping from the shrubbery opposite of the path, these two aiming for Dorn as he spoke to his friends. With his current position, he didn't see them, but as they crept, it was possibly he could hear them. Because of that, a red d20 rolled as they were ten feet away from him. It revealed an 11 turned 14, making twigs snap as they moved, bringing Dorn's attention to them.

"Shit," he frowned, turning to the two blights.

Medea raced to the south side of the house, looking to ensure that no more blights were around. Looking to the mass of shrubs and trees next to the cottage, she frowned as she guess that the blights, if there were any more, would be hiding out there. Narrowing her eyes, she declared her check, "Perception Check."

Twin dice rolled, one red, and the other her familiar purple. Both landed at her feet, the red die reading 13, and her own reading 19. Both die flashed and immediately Medea could see the twiggy form of two more blights hidden in the brush.

"Oh no you don't!" Medea frowned before she lifted her hand and unleashed her spell, "_Ray of Frost!_" A beam of pure cold energy fired from her hand and flew for the first blight she saw. Her dice rolled a 19, allowing the blast to strike the blight with a pained screech, coating it in frost. The d8 rolled onto a 4, dealing just enough damage to make the blight visibly wither before it shattered into purple sparks.

"Suck on this!" Dorn shouted, aiming another arrow at the blights, letting to fly with his dice. The arrow flew true, impacting against another blight which ended it in a flash of light.

"Dorn, is it more of them?" asked Rael with his sword.

"One more on this end," the human ranger answered.

"Then let me at him!" Rael shouted, running to the door where his friend stood.

The paladin raced through the door, Dorn sidestepping for him as he got to see the blight near the tree it was standing in front of. Still too far away, and wishing to at least get something out of the battle, Rael drew his own longbow before he fired an arrow at the plant creature. A 10 turned 14 proved successful while an 8 turned 10 all but obliterated the blight in a flash of yellow.

"At least I got something," Rael huffed.

The last blight snarled and charged out of the brush to try and get at Medea. It only managed to get twenty feet before it came to a stop. That was more than enough as Kathra emerged from the house, hearing the noise, before she charged for the blight and slashed at it with one of her swords.

"HIYAH!" she called, slashing at the blight as her d20 rolled a total of 23. The blow landed hard, beheading the blight and made the body explode in blue light.

"Tell me that's all of them," Medusa sighed.

"I think that's all of them," Dorn called out, moving to collect his used arrows. "We can move freely again."

"Good," Kathra huffed, resting her swords over her shoulder. "Okay, so zombies, blights, anything else?"

"If there is, we'll probably see it," Medea sighed as she and Kathra moved to rejoin their friends. "Can we keep going now? I don't want something to come to investigate the noise."

No one disagreed as the group moved north again, moving to the solid cottage on their left. Examining the house, they found that it was in much better shape than anyplace else. The doors had metal bars on them and were locked shut. The windows were likewise solidly shut, making the cottage very secure.

"Think it's Reidoths?" asked Kathra.

"Maybe," Rael nodded before he slammed on the door, "Mr. Reidoth? Is anyone home?" Silence returned his call, proving that the druid wasn't there, if it wasn't his home. Not wishing to earn a druid's ire by breaking in, the group moved on, continuing north.

Moving along the road, they heard rumbles in the distance from the tower, but wrote it off as the volcano which ruined the town in the first place. They saw another ruined cottage, one which was much bigger than the others, but wary of more blights, they ignored it in favor of the solid building which was on their right.

The sign on the building had a worn sign which barely read 'The Brown Horse', indicating it used to be a tavern.

"I'd hide out here," Rael teased, earning light snorts from the others as they approached the door. Reaching the door, they drew their weapons and once ready, Rael gripped the handle of the door and took the lead with Kathra while Medea and Dorn kept back so to use their own skills in case they were needed.

As they entered, they saw that they were in the public portion of the tavern, seeing plenty of tables and overturned chairs and even a bar at the far end of the room. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust and ash, meaning no one had been there for some time.

As they entered the room, there was a soft muffled groan and the four could see movement coming from parts of the room. With puffs of ash and dust, what was thought was piles of ash or ash-covered furniture rose up, revealing the animated corpses of former residents of the town, now simply zombies.

"Ah shit," Rael cursed. "Initiative!"

The dice flew and the order was set. With some luck, the zombies rolled a 2 and with their dismal Dexterity scores being a -2, they ended up with a grand total of 0. This allowed the four adventurers to all pick their targets as they wished. Something Rael did as he lifted his sword Talon and charged for the closest zombie, one using a table as a lever to help it stand up.

"Taste the steel of the forest!" Rael shouted, slashing with his sword. His dice was faithful, rolling a hit which had talon cut through the air, and then through the zombies' flesh with a flash of red. However, the dust and ash covering the zombie came off in a small cloud, taking the paladin by surprise. Rael stumbled and coughed as his d20 appeared for a Constitution saving throw. Fortunately with a roll of 15, he kept the ash from invading his lungs. Only then did he spot his d8, showing he dealt the zombie 7 damage.

"What was that?" Rael coughed as the zombie groaned from the attack.

"It must be volcanic ash or something!" Kathra frowned. "They're covered in it. One good hit and it all comes flying off to poison us or something!"

"Then we hit them from a distance!" Medea replied, taking aim at the zombie behind the bar. "_Ray of Frost!_" She fired the beam of arcane freezing energy which flew at the animated corpse. A roll of 7 turned 13 hat the blast hit, knocking the zombie silly and covering it with frost while a cloud of ash fell from its body. She only did 4 damage, but it got rid of the hazard of the ash cloud.

"Good idea," Kathra nodded, drawing her longbow and taking aim at a zombie at the far right in the tavern. Notching an arrow, she let it fly at the creature. Her d20 showed a total of 16, letting the arrow sink into the zombie's body with a flash of red for 10 damage. Once the ash cloud dissipated, Kathra drew her swords and ran to confront the zombie in close combat.

"Last one's mine," Dorn drew his own arrow and let it fly, his d20 doing the same. A 10 turned 17 guaranteed the hit, letting the arrow strike the last zombie in the middle of the room. The arrow caused the ash cloud to form, but it swiftly settled again as the zombie took 8 damage.

The zombies rallied and began moving. The first to attack was the one with Rael as it attempted to slam him with its rotting arms. It swung at him, but it merely bashed against his armor with no visible effect. The second zombie tried the same for Kathra, rolling a 19 to show a success as its meaty fist bashed flew at her head for 7 damage.

"Kathra!" Medea cried, seeing her friend stumble.

"_Parry!_" Kathra grunted, keeping her eyes on her opponent. Expending one of her superiority dice, the d8 rolled a 3 turned 6, letting the zombie merely graze her cheek with a jagged nail as Kathra expertly parried it rather than actually bash her like it intended. In all, the move allowed her to only take 1 damage.

"Eyes front!" as Dorn's zombie managed to get in range and take a swipe at him. He managed to dip around the attack, making the zombie lose its balance for a moment. The last zombie managed to get to the middle of the room, having needed to go around the counter.

Rael grunted and swung his blade for another attack, feeling emboldened by the zombie's ineffectiveness. A total of 10 on his die saw his blade sink into the rotting flesh of his target once again for another 5 damage. To his relief, the ash cloud didn't return, proving the theory that it came from the dust on the zombie's body and not a natural ability.

Medea knew she would need a little more striking power to bring down her zombie before it got too close, so she pooled one of her higher spells and thrust her hand out to the zombie, "_Magic Missile!_" Three purple arcane darts flew and crashed into the zombie, leaving open wounds of red light. All in all, a total of 12 damage wasn't anything to sneeze at.

Kathra grit her teeth, moving with both her swords at the zombie to try and cut it down in one turn. Once, twice she lashed out with her weapons. Once, twice, the dice rolled favorably as her weapons cut into the rotting flesh of the zombie for a total of 9 damage. Not enough to kill it, but very close.

Dorn knew his bow would be no good as his own target was too close. Instead, he shouldered the bow and pulled out his greatsword, happy to have a chance to use it for once. Lifting it, he slashed downward at the zombie's shoulder, hoping that it would be enough to kill it. The dice rolled true and the heavy sword dug deep into the undead's flesh. Two d6 dropped, showing a total of 11 damage, coming close to finishing the zombie.

The zombies rallied again, taking their attacks to their chosen targets, even Medea's managed to get in close to take a swipe at her. Dorn dodged the clumsy swipe with his ranger reflexes. Rael was not so lucky as his zombie managed to land a blow on his head, making him stumble as he took 3 damage. Kathra proved luckier as she dipped under a clumsy attack. Medea, with the help of her _Mage Armor_ managed to deflect her own impending assault.

Shaking his head from the blow he took, Rael grit his teeth and lunged with another yell. His sword flashed as his dice hit the floor, rolling to reveal a 10 which had the blade sink into the zombies' flesh again for 11, damage. As the blow hit, the zombie's wound flashed as it gave off a d20 of its own, something he hadn't noticed before. It rolled onto a 7 which became a 10 before it darkened. The zombie gave off a moan before it shattered into yellow light.

"What was that?" Rael frowned in thought.

Medea grit her teeth and ran past the zombie confronting her, trying to get some distance between it and herself. The zombie moaned and swiped at her with its attack of opportunity. Its attack dice appeared, showing a 5 as it moved, missing Medea quite readily as she crossed the room to the bar. Spinning around, she lifted her hand and launched her next spell, "_Ray of Frost!_"

The beam flew, a roll of 16 proving a hit, before the beam crashed into the zombie. The zombie groaned as it took 7 damage, and unseen, it dropped a red d20 for a Constitution saving throw. It landed on a 9 turned 12 before flashing. As the zombie began to fall back, it righted itself, showing a hole in its chest, but it was still alive.

"Oh come on! That had to kill it!" Medea cried out.

Kathra didn't notice the scene as she went for the zombie she was fighting with both her blades once again. Her first slash sang out and her dice announced its fate. A 9 proved enough as her blade sunk into the zombie's flesh, dealing 4 damage. Again,a red d20 fell to reveal a 9, making the die flash and the zombie managed to stay alive.

"Some zombie trick?" Kathra frowned but shrugged and slashed with her second sword. This time the blow was a natural 20, making her sword shine as she smashed it into the zombie. This time, no die came out and the zombie vanished in a haze of blue.

Dorn swung his sword and swung it hard, hoping to end his zombie once and for all. The dice agreed and he landed a blow on the zombie's shoulder and dug into its torso for 10 damage. Once again, like the others, a red d20 flew, clattering to show a 6. The dice faded and the zombie exploded into green motes of light.

The last zombie moaned and turned to go for Dorn, seeing him as the closest target. It reached out and tried to swipe at him only to roll a natural 1 and stumble, not even coming close to striking him.

"Medea, you want to finish it?" asked Rael.

"Damn right!" the half-elf huffed. Rael nodded and decided to get Ready while Medea made her next spell, "_Ray of Frost!_"

Once more the beam of ice energy flew and once again it struck the zombie. The d8 rolled for damage, totalling 6 damage. Once more, the red d20 appeared, rolling to reveal a 7. This time, the die darkened and the zombie vanished in a haze of purple.

"Okay, what the hell?" Medea frowned. "Did we fight any zombies that did that before?"

"Actually...yeah, in our games," Dorn reminded her. "Remember? Undead Fortitude? If a zombie is about to be taken out, it rolls a Constitution saving throw to see if it survives with one hit point or not. Well, unless the attack does radiant damage or it was a critical."

"Think Romeus and the others had that problem?" asked Rael.

"Knowing Medusa's luck, they didn't," Dorn grumbled at his admittedly luckier sibling. "Anyway, if nothing's here then let's just keep looking for Reidoth."

"_You already found him._"

The voice came from outside and the group was immediately at the door, looking to see who had spoken. Outside stood a man wearing earthen green and brown robes, all made from animal skins and natural materials who wielded a wood staff and sported a white beard, showing his age.

"Mr. Reidoth?" Medea gasped.

"Just Reidoth, lass," the older man nodded. "Now, can you all kindly explain why you're risking your necks looking for me in this place?"

"But...where did you come from?" Rael sputtered in surprise.

"Heh, you think I wouldn't check to see who was banging on my home's door?" Reidoth grinned. "I followed you in a beast shape to get a read on you all. You're not looters or bandits, and after seeing you lot take care of those zombies, I decided you earned a meeting. Now speak up. What brings you to see me?"

Dorn blinked, but then coughed, "W-Well, I don't know if you've met them, but do you know Gundren Rockseeker?"

Reidoth frowned and rubbed his beard as the party of four respectfully approached, "Rockseeker? Aye, the dwarf and his brothers. We worked long and hard for his mining project. What about them?"

Dorn sighed, "Sadly, it seems that the brothers weren't the only ones who knew about Wave Echo Cave," Reidoth's eyes widened at the name. "The Black Spider also knows about it and he's trying to find it and make sure no one else knows the way. We rescued Gundren, but he's unconscious and his map was destroyed. We need to find Wave Echo Cave and stop the Black Spider before he starts arming his men with magic weapons."

Reidoth frowned, "Hmm, The Black Spider you say? Not good. Not good at all." He hummed in thought, looking at the group, "I do know where the cave is. I was the one who helped Gundren survey the area, finding signs in the rocks of where the cave could be. Still, I don't trust new faces so easily, although so far you seem like good kids. If you want me to help you find Wave Echo Cave, then you'll have to prove your intentions by helping me."

"And what would that be?" asked Kathra with a raised eyebrow.

"You probably can guess that these lands have been tainted by what happened when the volcano erupted," Reidoth explained. "However, since the last time I was here, it has only gotten worse."

"Twig blights and zombies. How can that get worse?" asked Kathra.

Reidoth smirked darkly, "A green dragon setting up its lair inside the old tower," he pointed in the direction of said tower when another rumble sounded off.

"...oh fuck," all four adventurers gasped in horror.

"Yes," Reidoth nodded. "We're lucky though. It's still young. Likely it decided the tower would make a good lair since Thundertree is abandoned anyway. If you four are indeed being truthful and the situation is as dire as you say, help me drive the green bastard out and in return I'll lead you to Wave Echo Cave."

Rael groaned, "This is going to suck so hard."

Medea nodded, "Good thing we have those supplies stocked up."

"Good thing we've got Medusa and the others," Kathra added.

"I don't want my sister involved in this," Dorn mumbled. Sighing, he shook his head, "Okay, we'll meet them on the road to the tower and deal with this. It's a young dragon. We can handle that...maybe."

Reidoth almost wanted to snicker at how despondent the four adventurers had become, but he knew a dragon was serious business and it seemed that the four knew it as well. Hopefully they would get over their moaning and get their heads into the coming conflict.

Leaving TheBronw Pony, they traveled down the road, turning to the path which would take them to the tower. At the other end of the road, ten figures were seen. The group of four immediately recognized their friends, but the six men in black outfits were new to them.

"I've seen this lot skulking around," Reidoth frowned. "Best be wary. I don't know what they want."

"If they're help, let them stay," Rael muttered, "But good point."

As the groups met, Dorn sighed at his sister, "Medusa, who are these guys?"

"This is Favric and his group is called The Order of the Dragon. Apparently, they're here to make a deal with the dragon in the tower," Medusa explained. "You know, so he won't torch the countryside or something like that."

"Would that deal in finding this dragon a new place to crash?" asked Medea skeptically. "Because we need to get it out of here if we're going to move onto The Black Spider."

"Once the dragon trusts us, we might be able to come to an agreement about that," the silver-haired man named Favric explained, nonplused about the new faces. "Right now, out entreaty it to get on its good side and try to show we're good allies."

"Right," Dorn rubbed his head. "Okay, let's do this then."

Nods abound as the group turned onto the path and headed to the tower. It was just as downtrodden as the rest of the village, although the roof was missing from the tower itself. As the group grew closer, the small of acid hung in the air, announcing the dragon's presence. Coming to the tower itself, they saw a cabin portion at its base, likely an entry hall or living space. Next to the cabin was a pair of giant spiders. Both were obviously dead and covered with blisters and appeared mauled by a wild animal.

"Acid breath, check. It a green dragon alright," Dorn winced.

"Stay strong. He won't respect us if we tremble," Favric reassured him.

"Chromatic dragons don't respect anyone except themselves," Dorn retorted.

The group found the doorway and Favric took the lead with his men, since they were going to lead the negotiation. They traveled through the stone interior, seeing absolutely nothing of note beyond wrecked furniture. They reached the door on the other side and the black-clad group stepped through without hesitation.

"Well, they've got balls," Romeus muttered.

"Yeah. Watch 'em get melted off," Thalai snickered as the others followed through the door.

The rather large group entered into the tower proper, which was a 40-foot high structure. The roof was gone, but the stairs which spiraled up the sides and the beams which kept the structure from collapsing on itself still remained.

In the center of it all sat their goal. It was a bright green reptilian creature which was around ten feet tall where it was sitting like a cat expecting to be worshiped. Its wings were spread like an emerald curtain and a reptilian fin rand down from its head perched on an elongated neck to the end of its saurian tail. It's eyes were dark green, focused on the humanoids entering its lair. A green mist rose from its nostrils, making an acidic scent hang heavily in the air as it glared at the group.

There was no mistaking it. They were looking at an actual green dragon.

"...I think I just had a nerdgasm," Dorn muttered.

"...right behind you," Medea openly gaped.

"Really? Because I'm about to shit myself!" Kathra hissed.

"The pictures…do _not_ look like that," Rael whispered.

"Well fuck," Romeus blinked.

Medusa and her two friends were struck speechless by the sight of the mythic beast. This was a _young_ green dragon?!

Seeing the reactions of the eight adventurers, the dragon let off a chuckle which seemed to fill the room, "So, you are in awe of me little worms? Good, you have every right to be. It is not often that your kind meets one of mine face to face."

"Indeed, great one," Favric spoke, bowing in deference to the dragon. "Blessed are we to be in your presence."

The dragon smirked, an obvious thing to notice considering its size, "And you show proper deference. How rare for you creatures. Now, why have you so brazenly entered my new lair? I haven't even had a chance to let the thickets grow yet."

"We have come seeking your favor," Favric explained himself. "We know your power will greatly aid our goals, but of course such things do not come freely, so we have come with a mighty tribute for you."

The word 'tribute' seemed to get the dragon's attention and it began taking the situation more seriously. Beyond as a moment of amusement in any case. Rearing up properly, the dragon spoke in a more imperial, although still conceited, tone, "Then show what you have brought me, Venomfang the Green."

Favric nodded and gestured to one of his men. The man stepped forward and revealed a small coffer. Taking the lid off, he revealed three brilliant diamonds, each worth at least 100 gold each and sparkled in the low light. Venomfang's eyes widened with greed as he plucked the coffer up between his talons and examined the gems. Satisified, he set them aside near a treasure chest.

"You now have my attention," Venomfang hissed in pleasure. "But to have my favor, you will need more."

"And we indeed do," Favric nodded. He turned aside and gestured of the party of eight and the druid with them, "I present these fools. Their meat as your food offering, and their valuables contributed to the future of your glorious hoard!"

The eight adventurers all blinked as the six men all sneered at them, dark smugness on their faces even seen through their masks. It took a moment, but Venomfang giving a toothy grin drove it all home. They had been duped by the men and were now going to be offered as a snack to the green dragon so they could win it over.

"Oh fuck you guys!" Dorn snarled, drawing his bow.

"Knew you were up to no good!" Reidoth growled, drawing his quarterstaff.

"Kill them , present their meat and wares, and I shall accept your bargain," Venomfang grinned, eagerly watching the impending bloodbath.

"Fuck you too!" Medusa hissed. "Initiative!"

Unlike the other times they called for the dice roll, there was a pulse of power which came with the words. Reidoth blinked as if he saw something out of the corner of his eye. The cultists didn't seem to notice anything as they drew scimitars to fight with. Venomfang though, he seemed to notice something was amiss.

"What was…?" he began, but stopped when he saw the d20s beginning to roll. "What?"

The numerous d20 dice clattered to the ground and rolled, showing their modified results and set the order of battle. Venomfang's eyes narrowed as he felt some kind of weight land on his shoulders, but he would not let it distract him from his coming feast.

Dorn knew he could go first as he drew another arrow, "Every! Spread out! Don't let Venomfang catch us in a group!" He drew back his arrow and took aim at one of the cultists, hoping to cull the numbers slightly before he let the projectile fly. He d20 showed a natural 20, making his arrow shine with green power. More than enough to hit.

The arrow flew, as did the d8, landing on an 8 which became a 12. The arrow flew and pierce the cultist's eye and knocked him back in a heap where he vanished into green motes of light. Venomfang's eyes widened at the sight, never having seen such disintegration before.

Once the arrow was fired, Dorn began running along the side, moving away from the group so he could keep away from the other cultists and the dragon. As he reached 30 feet, Aryn began her turn, running for the stairway which circles the side of the tower. Coming to the steps, she spun around and pointed her emblem at where the cultists stood, "_Fog Cloud!_"

Between the remaining five cultists, a sudden cloud of fog broke up, engulfing the five men as they yelled out in surprise at their sudden blindness with the thick cloud of fog surrounding them. In fact, thanks to the close quarters of the tower, the entire bottom layer of the tower was covered in the thick fog. Not even Venomfang was immune even as he was engulfed by the fog.

"I'll keep them in the dark! You guys cut them down!" Aryn shouted, concentrating on keeping the fog nice and thick.

"Kill them! Kill them for Venomfang!" Favric shouted as he and his men began running for the last location they knew the party to be. They stumbled through the fog as their enemies tried to remain quiet and keep out of their way. As they did, d20's flew from all humanoids inside the fog, one side for perception, and the other for stealth.

Several party members passed, but two of the cultists rolled 19 and a natural 20. As a result, three of the cultists wandered into the fog and attempted to stab at places they thought the party was, only to yell and announce to everyone else where they were.

"Die!" Favric shouted, slashing at the first figure he found which turned out to be Rael. Dice flew from the attack, two due to his lack of sight, and landed to show a 1, making him stumble as he tripped on an uneven brick on the ground.

The second cultist slashed for Romeus, seeing him slightly in the fog. He slashed, but his dice rolled and his disadvantage made him roll a 2, missing the halfling completely.

Medusa frowned, like the cultists, unable to see through the fog and it even cut off her view of Venomfang, leaving her rather blind. Still, she could tell where the cultists were a moment ago thanks to their yelling as they tried to attack. Steeling herself, she took aim in the general direction she had heard one cultist shouting in and prepared herself, "_Eldritch Blast!_"

She charged the attack and two dice rolled to show her disadvantage. One rolled a total of 15 while the other rolled a total of 14. Both were sufficient and Medusa fired her snake-like beam of energy through the air where it crashed into the body of one cultist, making him cry out in pain. Her d10 dropped to reveal a 10 turned 12 as the cultist's body dropped in a heap and there was a flash of green in the fog.

Rael didn't have any such problems with the fog since one of the cultists were right in front of him. With his greatsword and swung it at the leader of the cultists. His swing (and his dice) were true and his blade met the body of Favric. His damage dice first rolled a 2 and a 3, but his _Great Weapon Fighting_ ability rerolled the 2 to become a 6, dealing a total of 12 damage, cutting Favric in twain before his body vanished in a haze of yellow.

"_Barkskin!_" Reidoth barked, slamming his staff down before his skin took on the color and consistency of tree bark. He then began moving to the edge of the fog cloud, knowing he was no good inside of it.

Medea grit her teeth as she tried to see something in the fog. She heard where the cultists were, but she couldn't _see_ any of them. Aryn had the right idea but getting them caught in the fog cloud kind of limited how effectively they could bring down the cultists!

"Oh whatever!" Medea huffed. Squeezing past her remaining friends, she pointed her hands in the direction of the two cultists she had listened to being near one another before she unleashed her spell, "_Burning Hands!_"

The fog lit up with heat as the orange flames cut through the air in a 15-foot long cone. The two cultists were caught up in it, screaming as their dice failed to protect them with rolls of 11 and 4. Both were ingited as 3d6 rolled for each of them telling their fates. The results were a 6, a 4, and a 2 which caused both cultists to catch fire before they exploded into clouds of purple.

"I grow tired of this!" Venomfang growled before he reared up onto his back feet, allowing him to rise above the fog with his neck extended. Aryn gasped as his green eyes landed on her and he advanced, swinging his claws at her on the stairs.

"Ahhhhh!" the triton screamed as she saw the attack in coming. She tried to move, but the dice rolled, showing a total of 20 for the attack, letting the claws swipe across Aryn's body, eliciting a scream of pain. 2d6 rolled, showing a total of 10 damage was done against her.

"ARYN!" the party yelled as they heard their friend scream in pain. It wasn't long before they could see what happened as the fog cloud vanished, broken along with Aryn's concentration.

Venomfang grinned as he swiped at the wounded triton a second time, rolling his own d20 in the process. Aryn barely had her senses back from the first strike as the second came hard and fast while the red d20 showed _another_ 20, which had the claw raking across her body a second time. She screamed again as she took another 16 damage, dropping her to 0 and unconscious, her body glowing a dull red as her hit points vanished.

"NO!" Medusa screamed in horror.

"_Next!_" Venomfang, dropping to his feet and almost slithering towards the main party. Loojking over the group, he snarled and snapped his head down at Kathra, thinking she looked like a tasty snack. The d20 rolled, totalling 18 as the dragon's jaws snapped around Kathra, making her scream. But she had enough sense for one word, "_Parry!_" As she did so, her blue superiority dice rolled to show a 4 turned 7 just as the dragon's own red pair of d10's dropped to show 16. Thanks to her parry, the damage was reduced to 9, letting her slip out of the dragon's mouth before it could do more damage than it did.

"Ah, a wriggly one!" Venomfang laughed, licking his chops.

"You okay?!" Rael cried out.

"I just got bit by a _fucking_ _dragon!_" Kathra snapped. "Of course I'm not okay!" She groaned and saw the glowing circles on her body where the dragon bit her. The _breath_ of that thing! "I'm going for Aryn! Everyone rip this guy a new one!"

Kathra began running for the stairs. Fortunately, Aryn had started behind the frontline fighter so she was within Kathra's range, although barely. Coming to the downed Triton, the dwarf woman wanted to cry at seeing what happened to her friend. Aryn looked battered and bruised and the red glow around her body showed she was in critical condition.

Acting fast, Kathra cradled Aryn's body before she pulled out one of her _Potions of Healing_ before she uncorked it and began pouring the contents into the triton's mouth. Aryn choked suddenly and coughed, but just by being in her mouth the potion took effect. Two d4 dice dropped to read a total of 7, giving Aryn that much health back, letting the triton open her eyes.

"Uhhn?" she groaned, her body wracked with pain. "K-Kathra…?"

"Hey there," Kathra smiled, relieved to see her friend awake again. "You took some bad hits. You okay?"

"Hurts," Aryn groaned, starting to get her wits back. "Venomfang?"

"Still fighting him," Kathra looked over to where the dragon was menacing her friends. "We're going to need to go all out for this one."

"YOU BASTARD! _RAGE!_" Thalai roared, racing towards the dragon in a fury with her axe raised. She approached the dragon head on, coming to its chest before she swung with all her strength at its scaly hide. Her dice showed a success with a roll of 21, letting the blade sink into Venomfang's chest, making the dragon roar in pain, matching by Thalai's fury. A d10 rolled, showing a 10, modified to a total of 15 damage to the dragon.

"Sorry chum, but I don't have time for you!" Romeus frowned with his rapier at the ready, lunging for the last cultist. He barely noticed his d20 read a 10 turned 13 as he thrust the blade to the cultist's chest. The blade struck, and the damage dice rolled to reveal a total of 8 turned 9, which was thankfully enough to end the cultist in a flash of purple.

"That's it for the cultists! Let's end this fucker!" Romeus shouted to his friends.

"All for that one!" Dorn nodded before he took a look at the dragon and pointed at it, "_Hunter's Mark!_" As he pointed at the dragon, a green arrow symbol appeared on Venomfang's head, easily discernible from his scales, and unable to be missed. He then fired another arrow, rolling a 14 turned 21, letting the arrow strike Venomfang's neck. The dragon grunted as the d8 appeared, but also a d6 from the _Hunter's Mark_, dealing 9 damage to the dragon.

Aryn grimaced as she got up to her feet, costing her half of her movement, but she knew she wasn't going far, Grimacing, she held her symbol of Eadro and aimed it at the dragon's back, "_Guiding Bolt, Second Level!_"

The oceaning flash of light erupted from the symbol and fired down at Venomfang. Aryn's d20 rolled and she prayed for a hit so she could help her friends. Eadro, or some god, was listening as her dice rolled a 21 and the bolt crashed against Venomfang's back, making the dragon roar in pain as five d6 dice appeared, totalling 18 damage on the green dragon.

"GAAH! You bitch!" Venomfang roared, glaring up at Aryn and Kathra.

"And proud of it asshole!" Kathra shouted back.

With the cultists gone, turn order went straight to Medusa as she looked up at the menacing frome of Venomfang. Steeling herself, she recalled her spells before she chose the one she liked and lift her staff, "_Witch Bolt!_"

Crackling power shot from the staff and flew for Venomfang's head, letting a d20 roll fo the attack. However, the attack was not in her favor as it rolled too low, missing Venomfang to crash against the stone walls of the tower, "Shit!"

Rael huffed and lifted his greatsword before he charged at the dragon like a paladin was expected to be. Coming up to its chest, he roared and swung with his greatsword. Sadly, he rolled a three turned 8 and Venomfang merely dipped back to avoid the heavy swing.

Reidoth himself was not idle as he looked for his opening. Seeing Venomfang was distracted, he pointed his staff to under the dragon and cast his spell, "_Entangle!_" A flash of green appeared under Venomfang before thick weeds and vines rose up under the stone and began to wrap around Venomfang, but also Thalai who was in the same area Reidoth chose to have the spell manifest.

"Break out of those, fiend!" Reidoth spat.

"If you insist," Venomfang laughed. A red d20 rolled for a total of 14, allowing the dragon to easily free itself from the trap. Thalai raged, her own strength saving roll being at an advantage as she rolled a 17, breaking free of the weeds.

"Blast it!" Reidoth scowled. This was why he needed the adventurers' help! A dragon was too much for him!

Medea sighed as she glared up at the dragon. Reaching into her robes, she didn't hesitate as she lifted her focus and aimed right for Venomfang's face, "_Scorching Ray!_" Her spell invoked, three beams of fire burned through the air at Venomfang's exposed head. Her dice rolled and showed results of 8, 18, and 21. This in turn had one beam fly by the dragon's head as it turned to avoid it, but the second crashed straight into it, followed by the third, causing Venomfang to bellow in pain once again. 4d6 rolled for the damage, totalling 11 fire damage on the dragon.

"GRAH! I am _through_ playing with you!" Venomfang roared. He inhaled deeply and drew his head back, aiming at the entrance where Rael, Medea, Medusa, Thalai, Andromeda, and Romeus were still standing as they were from fighting the cultists. It was Rael who realized what it meant first.

"Oh shit! Move!" he shouted.

Venomfang pointed his head forward and unleashed a thick plume of green smoke which shot like a beam at the four adventurers. As they tried to get out of the way, all four of them dropped d20's for a saving throw.

Medusa rolled two dice as her perk _Blessing of the Empress_ gave her advantage on saving throws against poison and the poisoned condition. Her roll was a 19, allowing her pass the throw. Rael rolled an 8, failing the save while Medea rolled 11, likewise failing. Lastly, Romeus rolled 16, saving himself. Thalai managed an 18 to pass the save. Andromeda, who was around Medusa's shoulders, didn't need to roll at all, being immune to poison.

All four of them were impacted by the dragon's breath, Romeus and Medusa only getting glanced by it, while sadly Medea and Rael took it head on, all four of them screaming in pain. As Venomfang's attack ended, _twelve_ d6 dice began to roll for damage. The result was 37 damage which had Medea and Rael on the ground, their hit points reduced to 0. For their saves, Medusa and Romeus were able to avoid half of that damage, but Medusa was nearly out of the fight and Romeus lost half of his own life points in the process. The same could be said for Thalai who was down to 20 hit points.

"NOOOOO!" Dorn yelled in shock.

"Bastard!" Kathra roared, pulling out her longbow. Taking frantic aim, she shot at the same spot Aryn hit, hoping to pay back the bastard dragon for what he did to her friends. The dice was good to her with a total of 20, letting the arrow sink into the sensitive scales of Venomfang's back, making the dragon roar as a d8 said he lost 8 hit points.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Thalai bellowed, still in her rage as she ran at the dragon once again. Coming to its flank, she roared and swung with her fury once again. Thalai's roll responded to her rage and totalled a 20, letting the blade sink into Venomfang's hide with a flash of red once again. This time her damage did away with 12 hit points, pushing their enemy to the brink.

"Ugh, his breath stinks," Romeus grunted before he looked up to the dragon. Grabbing his lute, he decided to go for the maximum damage that he could. Strumming a tune, he began his musical spell, "_Dissonant Whispers, Second Level!_"

The musical magic streamed from Romeus' instrument and went right for Venomfang's ears. The dragon growled as his dice appeared for a Wisdom saving throw. With some luck, it rolled a 6 turned 10, a failure which made Venomfang throw his head back in pain as he flapped his wings, pushing himself back to crash against the far wall of the tower, thrashing his head as the psychic pain was inflicted. Four d6 dice dropped, totalling 11 damage to Venomfang.

"DIE!" Dorn shouted, drawing back another arrow as he aimed it at Venomfang. Calling his magic, he let the spell, and his arrow, fly, "_Hail of Thorns!_"

His dice rolled, landing on a natural 20 which made his arrow shine before it flew at Venomfang. The arrow came in close before exploding into numerous thorns which crashed into Venomfang, making the dragon shriek. Alone, the damage of the arrow turned up 19 thanks to being a critical hit. The _Hail of Thorns_ dealt another 7 damage. Then thanks to _Hunter's Mark_ and extra 3 damage was inflicted, totalling _30_ damage to the dragon.

Venomfang roared in pain, his body a literal coating of red lights of different intensities representing his wounds.

Aryn grimaced and looked to her friends. Recalling just the spell for the occasion, she ran down the stairs, coming onto the scene proper before she lifted her holy symbol and spoke loudly, "Oh great Eadro! Bringer of the tempest and lord of the oceans! Heal these valiant souls as they fight a source of corruption against nature's land, seas, and skies! _Prayer of Healing!_"

The symbol shone and six streams of healing energy shaped like gentle waters surged in all directions. One wrapped around Medea, another around Rael. Two more took to Romeus and Medea. The last two wrapped around Aryn herself and just made it to Thalai. 2d8 rolled from Aryn, showing a total of 9 which rose to 13, granting all involved the same number of hit points.

Medea and Rael gasped as consciousness returned to them and they quickly realized what was going on.

"Medea! Rael! Finish this clown off!" Aryn shouted to her friends.

Medea shook her head, getting up to her feet. Seeing Venomfang appeared to be on his last legs, she steeled herself and charged the rest of the movement she had before lifting her focus and unleashing her spell, "_Scorching Ray!_" Her dice rolled and to her shock, two of them appeared as natural 20's while the last was a 23, meaning all three would strike.

The streams of flame flew from the focus almost like cannonfire, all aimed at Venomfang. 6 d6 dice dropped to cast damage, two pairs doubling their result, totaling at a whopping 31. The streams crashed against Venomfang's head, erupting in a fiery explosion which almost deafened everyone in the room and made everything turn white for a moment. When the explosion passed, the party was treated to the brief sight of Venomfang's body, a smoking hole in the head, collapse in a heap.

Dorn gaped at the sight, "We...we did it...WE DID IT!"

Cheers and roars echoed through the room as the party celebrated. Medusa and Thalai were quick to engulf their triton friend, fretting over her only as besties could. Dorn was at Medea's side, checking her over for wounds as she tried to reassure him. Kathra headed over to Rael and helped him up, patting him on the back and making sure he was okay in her own gruff way.

Reidoth had to gape, shaking his head at the sight, "Those crazy kids did. Who would have figured?"

As the party fretted over one another, worried about the near-death experiences they had, Dorn, Kathra, Medea, and Rael suddenly began to shine their respective dice colors as their powers crossed the threshold into Level 4.

Dorn was suddenly engulfed in green light. The power of nature coursed through him. Like before, in his vision he could see writing write itself into being in front of him.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

Dorn narrowed his eyes in thought. Feats could be good depending on which one you chose. They were generally a new skill which could be added to increase the amount of abilities the player could call upon. However, Dorn was a practical guy. He knew if he increased his abilities first, then he'd be better off overall instead of simply gaining a new, sometimes situational, skill.

"I'll increase Strength and Dexterity by one each," Dorn announced. At his words, the glow entered his body, briefly illuminating his muscles under his skin.

_With this enhancement to your body, you have reached a new level in your physical skills. Your Strength modifier is now +3 and your Dexterity modifier is now +4. May your arrows and swords strike truer than ever before._

Finally came the expected hit point increase. Dorn decided to simply roll the dice, rolling a 7 which became a 10, adding that amount to his hit point total.

Rael's eyes focused as the elegant writing appeared in the light around him.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"I choose to increase my Charisma by 2," Rael announced. His light flashed and Rael felt his conviction in his oath and in Rillifane increase. Once the change was made, the words began writing again.

_By increasing your charisma, it has become more difficult for others to save themselves from your spells and the strength of your spell attacks has increased. Your Spell Save DC is now 13 and your Spell Attack Bonus is now +5_

Once the increase to his scores were made, Rael was given the chance to increase his hit points. He used the dice, rolling a measly 4 which became a five, turning his total hit points to 30.

The purple light was a joy for Medea to see as her own writing began to form before her eyes.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"I'll increase my intelligence by 1 and Wisdom by 1," Medea announced. In a flash of purple, Medea's knowledge seemed to expand, things she hadn't considered suddenly became integral to her magic and her character's studies.

_By increasing your intelligence, it has become more difficult for others to save themselves from your spells and the strength of your spell attacks has increased. Your Spell Save DC is now 15 and your Spell Attack Bonus is now +7_

_Also, by expanding your abilities, you may now know a total of four cantrips and now have 3 second level spell slots. With the increase of your level and intelligence, you may now have nine spells prepared in your spellbook._

_As you have leveled up, you may now choose 2 new spells you have a level for. Choose them now._

The list of possible spells Medea could have in her book appeared and she scrolled over her choices. She quickly chose to learn the _True Strike_ cantrip, which would give her an advantage on her attack rolls, and the _Locate Object_ spell in case they would eventually need to hunt for specific objects. As the spells were inscribed in her book, she allowed her final spells to be marked as prepared since she could have more spells prepared than she actually had with her modified stats.

Finally, Mede chose to roll the dice to try and get a better increase for her hit points. The dice showed a 3 turned 7, making her total hit points 33.

"Splendid," Medea smiled.

Kathra grinned in satisfaction as her own words lit up, similar to Medea and Rael's.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"I'll increase Stength and Dexterity by one apiece," Kathra decided firmly.

Kathra's world flashed as her body's strength increased, even if it didn't feel like her agility didn't. Still, she recalled the exact numbers and knew her Strength score moved up to 18, giving her a modifier of +4, increasing the power of her blows with her swords and her handaxes

Finally, Kathra rolled the dice to increase her hit points. She scored a 0 on the d10. Most would think that meant zero, but for a dice, that meant a 10. With modifiers, it meant the 33 became a 46 since the total dice roll was a 13.

"Whew," Kathra sighed. "Can we get to the fun part now?"

"The fun part?" asked Medusa.

"LOOT!" Dorn, Medea, Kathra, Rael, and Romeus cheered loudly.

The group moved to the chest they recalled Venomfang placing the three diamonds in before the fight started. The diamonds were of course still there, perfect as could be. Inside the chest they were on though, was even more valuables. 800 silver pieces and 150 gold pieces were stocked inside the chest. With it were four silver goblets set with moonstones. There were also two spell scrolls, one for _Misty Step_ and one for _Lightning Bolt_. Medea asked for the _Misty Step_ scroll, since she knew she could copy the spell itself into her spellbook. _Lightning Bolt _was still too high for her skill level.

The most curious find was a rusted battleaxe. At first it didn't seem special, but Kathra noticed the dwarven rune 'Hew' written on it. Knowing no dwarf would name a throwaway blade, she tried to see if it could be identified. Romeus knew the _Identify_ spell, but he didn't have a pearl to make it work. Medea was swift to hand over the pearl her group found in the Redbrand Hideout.

"_Identify,_" Romeus cast the spell as he touched the axe. Immediately, knowledge about the weapon came to his mind, "Wow, okay. It's a +1 battleaxe named Hew. When you hit a plant creature or something made of wood, it does maximum damage every time. A weird side effect is that you'll feel uncomfortable in forests though."

"I can deal with that!" Kathra laughed, taking the weapon in both hands. "I need a little more muscle on my side besides my swords."

Thalai frowned but looked to her own axe and decided against it. She was pretty badass as it was without a magical axe, so she decided to let Kathra keep the weapon. The next magic axe they found though she was going to keep for herself!

The silver they were able to split evenly, everyone getting 100 pieces for themselves. Likewise, they split the gold pieces as well as they could. When it came to the chalices, they split into pairs, rolling between the pairs with the highest rollers getting the chalices. The winners were Medea, Rael, Kathra, and Aryn. The losers rolled for the diamonds, with Dorn, Thalai, and Romeus winning. Medusa didn't get away empty handed as she nabbed the _Scroll of Lightning Bolt_.

"Think we should try to harvest the dragon?" asked Thalai, pointing to the rapidly blinking dragon corpse.

"Huh? Can we do that?" asked Kathra.

"We did it with an owlbear. Shoot!" Romeus gasped, running to the dragon's corpse. He had forgotten they could harvest monsters! Maybe it was because the body was so big it's time for expiration was long? "Ah, Medea, you've got high _Intelligence_ right? Quick, do an appraisal before the body expires!"

"Okay, okay," Medea sighed, not really getting what to do. Dorn had never used a harvesting option in his games unless they had a job or a quest to harvest creature parts and those were rare. She came to the body and rest a hand on the warm green scales. "Okay, appraisal check."

To the first party's surprise, a d20 rolled at her command. The dice landed on a 13 next to Venomfang's body where it turned to a 18 for a Nature check. The dice flashed and Medea's eyes widened in surprise, realizing what she could do to harvest parts of the dragon for materials. "Oh wow."

"Can we do something with the body?" asked Thalai, eager for more loot.

"Yes, if we make a _Dexterity_ check with the Nature skill," Medea nodded. "Crap, my Dex is okay but Dorn's is better."

"Just tell me where to cut and I'll do it," Dorn stepped up to the dragon body.

Medea and Dorn worked together and Dorn rolled his d20, using his _Dexterity_ score with his proficiency in the Nature skill. Normally, Dorn would have suffered disadvantage since he wasn't the one who did the appraisal. With Medea helping him though, it simply made it a normal roll.

Sadly, he rolled a natural 1 and the entire body vanished in a haze of green, but no parts were left behind for the group to profit from. All eyes turned to Dorn who shrugged sheepishly. Fortunately, everyone was still in a high mood from the rest of the loot.

"Well, I have to admit you lot seem to know your way around the spoils," Reidoth chuckled. "Most adventuring groups I've seen end up tearing each other apart with arguing over it."

"We've got it down to an art," Dorn let loose a sigh, shouldering his bow. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but…"

"Aye, aye, I'll show you the way to Wave Echo Cave," Reidoth nodded. "Although first of all, let me bring you to my lookout. It might be a bit cramped with all of you, but it's safe and there's food, which I think we're all going to need."

"Gods yes!" Medusa groaned, echoing the sentiments of the others.

Reidoth chuckled and brought the group out of the tower, their packs now that much heavier with their loot. With the group exterminating a fair portion of the monsters wandering the town, the group found the locked cabin which Dorn and his group discovered. Reidoth abruptly transformed into a squirrel, shocking the three newbies of the group before he slipped under the door. The door itself then swung open, revealing Reidoth welcoming them inside.

"Welcome," Reidoth nodded. "It's not much, but it's safe. That's all I need."

"Then we won't complain," Medea smiled graciously.

The group settled and Reidoth locked the door again just to be safe. Quickly, he produced small parcels of dried berries and other local delicacies foraged from the wilds. No one complained, seeing as they were all hungry and in pain from the wounds they took.

"I had my suspicions, but you all truly are trying to help the Rockseekers," Reidoth spoke, leaning on his staff. "Although I wonder how he trusted anyone besides his kin with the fact he stumbled onto Wave Echo Cave."

"Well, Dorn, Medea, Rael, and myself are the sons and daughters of his previous adventuring group, so he asked us to escort his supplies," Kathra explained. "We formed a group with Medusa, Aryn, Romeus, and Thalai and told them to meet us in Phandalin since it seemed there were work opportunities there. We stepped in it with this gig though."

"That you did," Reidoth nodded solemnly. "The Black Spider is not one to take lightly, I was so focused on trying to cleanse Thundertree, I didn't even notice his movements. Then again, stealth and subtlety are supposedly his specialties. Just how in the name of the gods did he find out about Wave Echo Cave?"

"His spies, how else?" Medusa frowned. "He probably has a network of spies in the major cities like Neverwinter and Waterdeep. Gundren goes and acts shifty, his spies catch wind and suss it out, they tell The Black Spider, he comes to Phandalin and organized the Redbrands to take the town while he finds Wave Echo Cave."

Reidoth nodded, "As evil all too easily gets its way these days. Well, let's see about you lot getting some rest while I help you plan out our next move."

"Thank you kindly," Rael nodded with a sigh.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**?**

Standing at the front of what seemed like an ordinary cave, a man covered completely in a black cloak, holding a black metal staff topped with a spider peered into the darkness. At either side of him was a giant spider, their mandibles moving, but the arachnids themselves were obediently at his sides.

"One step closer to my destiny," the man spoke, his voice ethereal, but dark. He tapped his staff end on a rock, making the spiders perk up. "Come."

The spiders obeyed and followed the man into the cave.

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **It seems the party is now in the home stretch. They now have a guide who can take them to Wave Echo Cave, but it seems the Black Spider has already beaten them there. Hopefully the heroes can cut him off before he can truly tap into the power of the mine.

I just want to make it known that during the first draft, I completely messed up the rule about Warlock familiars being able to attack if the Warlock gives up their attack option. So from here on out, I tried to salvage the fight scenes and tweak them to fit the rules. You may notice it, you may not, but don't burn me too hard if you notice some errors or not. I tried to rework it and smooth it over but there are always things that slip through.

**Homebrew:** Thalai's barbarian totem comes from a document called _The Lost Tome_ available on DMSGuild. It's a single document which is periodically updated with new content. It has plenty of subclasses and plenty of barbarian totems and exotic weapons. I personally recommend it.


	7. Wave Echo Cave

**I do not own Dungeons & Dragons. That is owned by Wizards of the Coast and not me. Oh how I'd love to be part of it though.**

**D&D Guild: Lost Mine of Phandelver**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin**

**Chapter 6: Wave Echo Cave**

The party of eight spent the night in Thundertree, needing the time to recover from their battle with Venomfang and his apparent sycophants, cultists, whoever they were. Reidoth was happy to have them, but it was definitely cramped for sleeping quarters. With that in mind, everyone was a little happy to get on the road again.

Reidoth explained that Gundren and his brothers had pieced together an approximate location for Wave Echo Cave, but had asked him to help them narrow it down. Why a Druid would help miners was a tad confusing, but dwarves always respected the mountains they mined from, and the magic in Wave Echo Cave needed to be brought back under control so it's magic would seep further into the land and risk strange mutations. Reidoth had discovered the cave during his studies of the area but didn't know what it was until the Rockseeker brothers came with their information that it made sense.

The way to Wave Echo Cave would take almost three days to complete, so the group set out with their supplies restocked from the nearby river and locally foraged foods.

The first day of their trek was quiet, but it served to make the more experienced gamers of the group slightly nervous. When things began getting quiet in their games, that meant that something big was going to happen soon. It made them fear that The Black Spider was already at Wave Echo Cave, either having found it, or felt he consolidated his hold on it.

That night passed by smoothly as well and the group made small talk, asking Reidoth if he had any good stories to tell. The Druid was happy to regale them of his earlier days adventuring, and then his own entry into the Emerald Enclave and the excitement he had. Well, exciting for a Druid was different to those who weren't. It made his exploits sound like nature studies and new discoveries in the field.

They struck out early the next morning, still heading in a southeastern direction which would take them east of Phandalin. Again, the day passed smoothly without incident. Not even wandering goblins or orcs managed to find them, which only enhanced the idea that they were in the home stretch and there were going to be fewer distractions to keep them away from Wave Echo Cave.

The night did have its share of excitement. As they set down to sleep, a pack of ghouls, likely having followed their trail from Thundertree attempted to attack from the northwest. From the Neverwinter Wood, a pack of wolves, angry-looking things, emerged to attack from the northeast.

Medusa's group handled the ghouls, cutting them down with minor difficulties thanks to their paralyzing touch. The wolves were short work for Dorn's group, but for different reasons. Before any of the wolves could attack, Reidoth used his magic to speak with the animals and soothe their anger. They didn't like the ghouls in the forest and had smelled them in their territory. It didn't take much to convince them to help fight the ghouls. Once the undead were destroyed, the wolves left.

The group made their final trek, tension filling them as they got closer to the mine. They began passing through several mountains, the path so sparse that it was hard to tell there even was a path in the first place. The mountains had several caves or were so treacherous that getting through them was a daunting prospect in itself. Still, Reidoth proved his knowledge was concrete as he brought them to a hidden ledge which wouldn't be seen unless someone stepped up to it.

"Here it is. Wave Echo Cave," Reidoth sighed, staring into the gloom.

"Thank you," Dorn nodded, stepping forward. "You really helped us out."

"Merely my duty," Reidoth shook his head. "Still, if you can manage to bring down the Black Spider, then I will consider it a mighty favor done."

"We'll get it done," Dorn nodded. "Are you going to come?"

"No, I can't stand being inside. Too dangerous," Reigoth shook his head. "So much magic going wild in there and gods knows what else in the years since the orcs rampaged through it. I will go back to Phandalin to let your friend Sildar know what is happening. Hopefully he'll get reinforcements in case you lot fail."

"We _won't_ fail," Medusa insisted, gripping her staff.

"I hope you're right," Reidoth sighed. "Best of luck to all of you." With a nod, Reidoth turned and began walking away from the group.

Dorn watched him leave before he looked to his friends, "Well guys, this is it. I know it's sort of my fault I got us all here with that damn book, but we're almost out. Considering how it went with Venomfang, I'd understand if any of you want to go back to Phandalin with Reidoth instead of going into the mine."

"What? You lose some brain cells on the way?" Rael frowned. "We're in this from start to finish Dorn! We're adventurers now, aren't we?"

"Yes," Medea nodded. "We've been adventuring on paper for years and now we have the real thing. No way I'm not seeing it through."

"Ha! You kidding? It's been scary sometimes, but I've been having a hell of a time!" Kathra laughed. 'You're not kicking me out of this now!"

"I may have come late, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to do my part to get back up to snuff!" Romeus snickered.

"I may not know the game like you guys, but I like what I'm seeing!" Thalai grinned wildly, her axe over her shoulder.

"It's been...well, terrifying sometimes," Aryn admitted softly. "But...I don't think I've ever really felt like I was doing something so incredible before! I want to see how it will end!"

"You can't get rid of me with just words Bro," Medusa smirked.

Dorn looked to his friends and grinned. He had been feeling guilty about dragging his friends into the fantasy world where they were at risk, and he felt it most during the fight with Venomfang. Still, no one seemed to be lingering on it for whatever reason. Dorn decided to do the same and stop The Black Spider once and for all.

"Then let's do this," he nodded. With that, he turned around and led his group into the cave, all of them prepared to bring The Black Spider down, wherever he might be inside.

The group stepped into the cavern, coming into an open area supported by natural rock pillars and a few stalagmites. In the northeast, there was a drop. A stalagmite had a rope tied around it, dangling over the edge. At first glance, it seemed like the way deeper into the caves and the Rockseeker brothers had done just that.

"Oh no!" Aryn suddenly gasped, making the group turn to her as she pointed to the western part of the cavern. There were some piles of supplies, barrels, sacks, and crates along with three bedrolls. With the supplies though, was a dead dwarf.

The group ran to the dwarf's side and Medea kneeled down with a grimace. With a motion, she tossed her d20 and asked for an Investigation check. The dice rolled, totaling 19 which had her see the entire picture. She looked to her friends, "He's been dead for a week or so. Likely the Black Spider killed him before he could resist since he already had the information he wanted."

"Damn," Rael grimaced, his friends echoing the sentiment.

Medea nodded, but looked down again, "There is one thing. He's wearing magical boots. See how his clothes are dirty and worn but his boots are still pristine?"

Medea's friends leaned over her shoulder and peered at the dead dwarf's boots. Sure enough, the red leather boots with wings embroidered on the ankles were pristine. Everyone looked interested in them, but at the same time, were a little leery about looting a dead man who didn't have it coming.

"Well...we might need the equipment," Medusa shrugged. "I mean, they can't be cursed if this guy's wearing them."

"But...they're his…" Aryn murmured.

"We'll give 'em back after," Kathra shrugged. Pushing past her friends, she removed the boots, "Romeus, can you please?"

Romeus sighed, "I suppose." he took out his pipes and played the tune which would allow him to use the spell. Reaching out, he touched one of the boots and whispered at the end, "_Identify._"

The boots and Romeus' hand flashed before the halfling perked up, "Okay, these are _Boots of Striding and Springing._ They need to be attuned, but once they are, your speed is 30 feet if it isn't already, and whatever distance you can jump, the boots triple it. Also, your speed isn't reduced if you're encumbered or wearing heavy armor."

Encumbrance was a rule that made players think about what they wanted to bring with them. Characters multiplied their _Strength_ score by 15 and that was how much weight they could carry. If they carried 5 times their strength score, then a character was encumbered and their speed dropped by 10 feet. If they carried 10 times their _Strength _score and take disadvantage to attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws from _Strength, Dexterity,_ and _Constitution._ Dorn use it himself concerning the weapons, armor, items, and such things for the characters. He did not bother with currency, food, or ammunition, although the rules say every 50 coins could count for one pound.

'_Funny how a lot of the rules here are reflecting the ways I've used them,_' Dorn thought as he turned back into the conversation.

"Sweet!" Kathra grinned, removing her boots and slipping on the new ones which seemed to fit her. "Now next time we rest I can attune myself to the boots and get that much quicker!"

"Well, that solves our problem," Medea sighed, standing up as she pat her robes off. "So, down we go?"

"Down we go," Dorn agreed. "Let's move it."

One by one, the adventurers climbed down the rope, somehow all of them knowing how to do so despite not having done it. Reaching the bottom of the drop, they began hearing booms echoing in the distance. It was likely why the cave had gotten its name, although what the source of the noise was, none of the group knew. In front of them, they had a passage that went east, and one which went north.

"So, which way?" asked Kathra.

"Well, eight of us might be a bit cramped for space in a mine," Thalai commented. "We split up again and try to cover more ground. The Black Spider's probably here and we don't want him finding some kind of super weapon in here."

"I don't like that," Aryn winced. "What if we run into him? If he's the last boss, we might be under the level to fight him."

"Well, it's not like it will be a straight run," Medea offered. "We keep going, we'll see more monsters and likely get more XP which can close any kind of gap there might be."

Aryn nodded, "Well...maybe…"

"Look, I think we can agree that this place is probably way too big to cover in one group before The Black Spider finds something we don't want him to," Medusa frowned, gripping her staff. "We should split up and try to find our way around."

"I don't like it," Dorn frowned. "But if we want to stop this guy, we're going to have to. If one group does find The Black Spider, don't confront if you don't have to."

"Knowing our luck, we will," Romeus sighed. "Okay, so we go with our original parties. We'll go east and you guys head north and we'll see what we can turn up."

"Okay. We'll travel for a while and then return here to report?" asked Rael.

"Give it about an hour, maybe? Just so we don't get lost," Dorn nodded. "If we run into the Black Spider, well, we should be loud so one of the others can hear us."

"There's a plan," Medusa rolled her eyes. "Anyway, let's get a move on then. This adventure won't end itself."

Sparking a torch, Medusa and her group headed down the eastern tunnel, the lone torch leading the way. Dorn did the same, although he was the only one that needed it since his friends all had darkvision. Idly, he muttered how much his friends sucked for being able to see in the dark, but they just had a good chuckle as they walked deeper into the legendary mine.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Romeus, Medusa, Thalai, Aryn**

"You know, when we did this with books and paper, you really don't get the atmosphere when you do things like this," Romeus commented as his group walked through the tunnel.

"No, no you don't," Medusa agreed. "Kind of makes it cooler, but creepier too."

"Little cramped though," Thalai muttered, needing to duck her head down

The group passed one passage, but kept moving after a short discussion, deciding to try and split the mine like they did Thundertree. Dorn and the others would handle the west side of the mine while their group would tackle the east side, or whatever they could get to. They'd be lying if they weren't hoping to find some treasure somewhere, but on the same vein, they were more concerned about stopping The Black Spider and saving Gundren's last brother, if he was still alive.

The tunnel eventually opened up into a larger cavern, allowing Thalai to stand normally again with the roof being thirty feet high. The torch light brought some illumination, revealing rock carvings on the walls of dwarves and gnomes working. Half a dozen brass lanterns were placed in niches on the walls

While the walls were nice, the floors were anything but. Skeletons littered the floor, some wearing rusty armor with rusty weapons nearby. Some of the skeletons were that of dwarves while others were the skeletons of orcs. More of the skeletons were at the south end of the room where it looked like a cave in had happened at the end of a tunnel.

"Yeesh," Medusa winced, stopping to try and light the lanterns. Fortunately, the oil inside ignited. It made Medusa's eyes narrow at the sight. Either the lanterns were enchanted to do that, or someone had put new oil in, expecting visitors to the mine. Did the Rockseekers do that, preparing to reopen the mine, or did the Black Spider do it, preparing the mine as a lair?

"Well, nothing really here, is there?" Aryn kicked an orc skull.

"Maybe it was another entrance or something," Romeus shook his head. "Sad thing really, thanks to the orcs and their stupid ways of doing things."

Thalai sighed, shaking her head at the waste of it all. Turning,she stopped when she heard a flapping noise and a squeak, lots of squeaks. Looking up, she gasped when she saw ten red creatures with needle-like faces and four limbs flying down from the ceiling, all of them dive bombing the four adventurers.

"Ahhh! Bats! Bats!" Aryn screamed.

"No, stirges! Initiative!" Romeus shouted out. The dice was cast as the group prepared themselves for battle. Mentally she was glad she remembered to cast _Mage Armor_

Thalai took the lead as the stirges fluttered about, trying to decide which of the group looked like the would be an easy target. Grinning, Thalai hefted her axe and swung at one which was nearby, "Like shooting fish in a barrel!"

Her dice rolled an 11 turned 15, allowing for a hit. The axe swung and struck the flyng pest. The damage dice didn't come fast enough for Thalai to see as her axe cleaved the creature in two, making it vanish in a haze of yellow, "Too easy!"

"Stay with me sweetling," Medusa pat Andromeda's head. The imperial cobra wasn't going to be much help with the creatures since they could fly.

Gripping her trident, Aryn targeted one of the fluttering stirges before she stepped closer to the creature and thrust at it with her weapon. Her dice was on her side as she thrust with her trident, letting it pierce the stirge, dealing 8 damage and piercing the tiny creature through its body before it vanished in a haze of blue.

Medusa watched the fluttering creatures before she thrust her staff out, invoking her most common spell, "_Eldritch Blast!_" The beam flew as her dice rolled to measure the attack. A roll of 14 confirmed the hit as a stirge was blasted out of the air in a flash of green.

Three stirges were down, but seven remained as the blood-sucking pests began swooping at the adventurers in an attempt to begin draining their blood. Two went right for Thalai, both rolling attack dice as they made their attacks. Both attacks didn't even managed to reach a score of 10, allowing Thalai to duck under both swooping creatures.

Aryn was just as successful, spinning out of the way of a stirge attack once, and then twice as the stirges missed their target. Romeus yelped as the last three aimed at him, perhaps drawn in by his exotic fey blood. He managed to avoid the first one, but the other two slammed into his chest, sticking their needle-like mouths through his armor and clutched onto him with their claws. He yelped as he took a total of 13 damage from both attacks.

"Ah! Getemoffme! Getemoffme!" Romeus panicked, wincing as he could actually _feel _ the stirges sucking his blood from him.

"It's your turn, genius!" Medusa snapped at him.

"Get off!" Romeus shouted, pulling a dagger and stabbing at one of the stirges on his chest. His dice rolled, totaling 20 which let the dagger sink into the body of the stirge, making it shriek as it took 3 damage, vanishing in a haze of purple. Seeing he had one left, he looked to his friends, "Someone get the other one! I only have one attack!"

"I got it!" Thalai called, running to her friend before she picked up her handaxe and looked to Romeus, "Now hold still. Like, really still!"

"No, wait!" Romeus cried out.

Thalai chopped at the stirge, making her attack roll. Another success was rolled, which crashed into the stirge's head, making it vanish into a haze of yellow as it took 8 damage. "There! It's gone!"

"And I think I just wet myself a bit," Romeus whimpered, trembling from the near miss from Thalai's axe.

Aryn's attention was turned to the two stirges near her that had tried to attack her. Picking one, she gripped her trident in both hands once again before she stabbed at it. A roll totalling 14 proved successful, piercing the pest's body for 2 damage, ending it in another flash of blue.

Medusa counted four stirges left and quickly moved to make that three. Taking aim once again, she fired her Eldritch Blast spell at the nearest of the stirges, one of the two Thalai left behind as they tried to attack her. The attack flew true, blasting the stirge out of the air like she had done with her last target. "Three left!"

The remaining stirges squeaked and dove for another attack. One flew for Thalai, but only rolled a one and clearly missed, the light of the torches gettin in its eyes. Another dove for Aryn, seeing a delicacy, it rolled a 19 and slammed into Aryn's side, it's needle mouth digging into her blue skin.

"OW!" Aryn cried out in pain, taking 7 damage. Her pain was ignored as the last stirge went for Romeus once again, trying to get what the other two stirges managed to get a taste of. Fortunately, Romeus kept some of his wits, his slight freak out notwithstanding, and he ducked under the stirge.

"Not this time!" the halfling bragged, stabbing at the pest with his dagger. A total of 18 let the dagger meet flesh, making the stirge screech as it died, vanishing in a haze of purple.

"Someone help me with this!" Aryn shrieked, trying to pull at the stirge on her side.

"I got it!" Thalai ran to the triton's side, handaxe at the ready with a smile. Aryn lifted her arm and trembled, trying to be still as Thalai swung. Thalai's roll showed an 18 turned 13, missing the stirge by a hair's breadth. "Crap!"

"Oh let me!" Medusa sighed, approaching her friends. Her own dagger in hand, she stabbed at the stirge, rolling an 18, sinking the dagger into the pest and killing it in a haze of green.

The last stirge, seeing Romeus by himself, darted down to try and sample the halfling's blood once again. However, Romeus didn't let his guard down, and a stirge's roll of 7 let him avoid the attack. As it moved by, he swung his dagger at the creature for a final hit. Unlike the stirge, the halfling's roll was quite good as it bisected the pest, ending the encounter.

"And good riddance!" Romeus huffed.

"Okay, we're done," Medusa huffed, reclaiming her torch which she dropped when the stirges attacked. Romeus quickly gulped down a _Potion of Healing _to recover the damage the one stirge gave him. "Which way now? South, north, or west?"

"I say south. Just to clear it so nothing sneaks up on us from that direction," Thalai answered, holstering her handaxe.

"We should be thorough," Aryn nodded.

Romeus and Medusa found themselves agreeing and they began heading down the path to the caved in entrance. Thalai's insight proved to be fruitful as on either side of the tunnel were wooden doors just past the rubble. With some pondering, they split into groups of two, Aryn and Thalai taking the door on the right while Medusa and Romeus took the one on the left.

The halfling and human stepped into what seemed like an office of some kind. A stone counter bisected the room, covered in iron scales and scraps of paper. Behind the counter were numerous cubbyholes, many with more scraps of paper and very old scrolls inside.

"Hm. Interesting," Romeus muttered. "Let's check out what's behind the counter."

"Duh," Medusa shrugged.

They passed behind the counter and began looking through what remained. Several scrolls were there, all of them were written in dwarvish, a language neither of them knew. What did catch their attention was the iron box sitting closed on one of the shelves.

"Oh, interesting," Medusa grinned. She picked up the box and gave it a shake, hearing metallic ringing inside. "Something's in there. It's locked though."

"Well, we can bring it with us," Romeus shrugged. "We can try to pick it later maybe?"

Medusa hummed, but then nodded and pushed the box into her pack. Adjusting the weight, she got back to her feet, "Anything else?"

"Well…" Romeus began, looking around. "We can try-!"

"COMPANY!" Thalai's voice bellowed from across the hall. Medusa and Romeus looked to each other before they ran for their friends. Coming across the hall and having a bit of a flashback to the building they explored in Thundertree. The door was open and they skidded to a halt, both exclaiming, "Oh fuck!"

Splinted benches and a portion of the roof had collapsed, filling a corner with rubble. There was a set of ruined stone bunkbeds and rotten wood weapon racks, partially covering the loose bones which likely came from gnomes, dwarves, humans and/or orcs.

Although Thalai and Aryn were backing away as several of the bones began coming together, forming skeletons with rusted weapons, standing up as their bones knitted together, arcane light glowing from their eye sockets.

"What did you guys do?!" Romeus cried out.

"We didn't do nuthin!" Thalai grunted, holding her axe as the last of the skeletons knitted together. "We just walked in and they started putting themselves together!"

"Oh just perfect," Medusa hissed. "Initiative!" The dice were rolled and the order of the battle was quickly set.

Aryn was able to go first and saw there was distance between themselves and the skeletons. Seeing her chance, she lifted her holy symbol and pointed it at the first skeleton she could see, "_Sacred Flame!_" The surging flames fired at the skeleton. The skeleton rolled a 7 for a defense and failed, letting the flames strike it. It shook from the impact as it took 2 damage, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Oh come on," Aryn groaned, picking up her trident.

"Use long range first and then use weapons when they get close!" Medusa shouted, lifting her staff, "_Eldritch Blast!_" The serpentine blast flew and the dice rolled a 17 which blast into another skeleton, making it rattle as it took 10 damage. Andi hissed, but remained where she was sitting.

Romeus grabbed his lyre and quickly began strumming a tune before he let out the musical cry, "_Thunderwave!_"

The skeleton closest to Romeus, but a step behind the skeletons Aryn and Medusa struck, suddenly got blasted with the spell. The two damaged skeletons and the two behind it were struck with the spell. The skeleton which took the blow head on was tossed back to crash against the far wall with a clang while the four remained on their feet. The first skeleton shattered on the impact with the wall as it took 14 damage according to two d8. The other skeletons took 7 damage each, shattering the skeleton Medusa struck and almost crippling the one Aryn hit.

The skeletons rallied and clambered towards the group of adventurers. Coming close, they each took aim for one of the adventurers. Medusa took a slash across the chest for 5 damage, making her cuss. Aryn managed to block her own attacker, grunting over the blow. Romeus dodged his own attacker, and Thalai easily blocked the flimsy strike from another skeleton. One more skeleton came at Thalai from the side, managing to cut her side for 6 damage. The remaining one skeleton could not get to the adventurers nor could it get a clear shot, so it merely shambled behind its comrades.

"Okay! Back off boneheads!" Thalai roared, swinging at the skeleton that hit her. The axe went hard and smashed into the head of the skeleton. A d12 rolled to show a 5 turned 8, making the axe slip off the helmet and break several ribs on the skeleton.

Aryn grit her teeth and lunged with her trident for her skeleton's head. Her roll of 18 had the trident stab into the skeleton's head for 5 damage, making the skull shatter before the body collapsed, vanishing into blue pixels.

Medusa hissed before she gripped her staff and swung it hard at the skeleton, rolling for the attack. She didn't do it as spur of the action, but as part of a plan. She had played enough to know that skeletons had a vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. She also recalled that improvised weapons which were similar enough to normal weapons, like a chair leg to a club, had the same damage. Using her staff, it would work like a quarterstaff, which she was proficient in. The dice rolled and it seemed to work, letting her attack hit.

A resounding crack echoed as the quarterstaff struck its head and using both hands, a d8 determined the damage. The improvised weapon made a crash as the d8 landed on a 6, but the number flashed red and became a 12 before becoming a 14. The result made the skeleton's skull shatter, dropping the body before it vanished in a flash of green.

Romeus grit his teeth and struck with his rapier, rolling an 18 which let the blade aim for the skull of his own opponent, the damaged skeleton from his Thunderwave. The rapier struck through the eye socket which had the blade break out the back of the skull, ending the monster as a d8 read a total of 6 damage dealt, breaking the skull and ending the monster.

The skeletons rallied once more, as best as they could. The last skeleton wandered to Aryn to try and strike her, but missing miserably. Another moved to Romeus, aiming for another strike while the last attempted to finish what it started with Thalai, but both missing due to their clumsy, or damaged bodies.

"Ha! My turn!" Thalai laughed, swinging hard once again with her battleaxe. Her roll of 24 allowed the hit to come crashing onto the skeleton's head, obliterating it as the damage d12 read an 11 turned 14. Aryn saw her chance and stabbed at the skeleton menacing her with a sharb jab. Sadly, she dinged off of its helmet, as her d20 rolled a 2 turned 5.

"Watch this," Medusa grinned before she swung at the skeleton with her staff. Her roll was better, landing an 11 turned 15 which had the improvised quarterstaff smash into the skeleton's face. Her d8 showed a 7 which doubled to a 14 before modifiers, crashing the skull and breaking the monster in a flash of green.

The only one left with an enemy, Romeus stabbed at the skeleton which targeted him. His roll proved fruitful, showing a natural 20 which had his blade all but explode the skull as he struck it, wiping the skeleton out and leaving the room quiet save for their breathing.

"New rule," Medusa panted. "We go into places together so we can see shit like this happening."

"Aye," the other three members sighed.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Dorn, Medea, Rael, Kathra**

"I still say you guys suck," Dorn muttered, holding the torch up as his group walked through the tunnel.

"Hey, you picked to be the human," Kathra chuckled. "Next time pick a different race."

Dorn made a growl but didn't otherwise comment. Walking through the northern tunnel from the entrance, they came to a winding group of tunnels which seemed to have been hal-dug by the previous denizens. The lack of skeletons made it seem like the tunnels just weren't showing any kind of results and were abandoned for more profitable digging.

"Well Kathra, does your dwarven senses help at all?" asked Medea as they made a turn.

One of the traits Kathra had as a dwarf was called Stonecunning, which when she made checks on origins of stonework, she could make the check with double her proficiency bonus and act as if she was proficient in the History skill. She had already used it to try and determine if there was a method to the tunnels, but quickly determined they were dug and abandoned when no ores were discovered.

"Nah. This was a pure mining area, no function or method to it since there was nothing found," Kathra shook her head as the group made a right turn. "We're best trying to map it out as we go...which no one thought to do."

"Funny how we remembered this stuff at the game table, but forget it when it becomes real," Rael muttered.

"That's life. No plan or procedure survives it," Dorn huffed.

A hiss quickly cut off conversation and the group of four stopped, reaching to one of their weapons. Dorn couldn't see so well outside of the radius of the torch, but his friends certainly could. Emerging from another tunnel came a trio of pale-skinned ghouls, their maws open and filled with sharp teeth, barely clothed in rags.

"Ah shit!" Kathra cussed as two of the ghouls began approaching with their third member forced to follow behind, "Init-!"

Her voice was cut off when from a nearby tunnel on their right, a tentacle of yellow goo snapped down from the shadows on the ceiling, striking the last ghoul in the group, making it shriek in pain as its flesh sizzled from where the tentacle touched it.

"What the hell?!" Dorn gasped as the ghouls stopped to see what had happened. To their mild disgust, from the shadows a blob of yellow ooze began to drop from the ceiling where it seemed to have begun focusing on the ghoul it had attacked.

"An ooze?" Medea grimaced. "Oh gross!"

"Well, we're in it now! Initiative!" Rael declared, sending the dice flying.

Initiative was set and Kathra saw the first turn belonging to her. While the ooze was the bigger threat, the two ghouls were in the way and needed to be brought down before they could deal with the pile of slime. Thinking it no better time to test her new toy, she hefted Hew from her back and charged for the first ghoul on her left.

"HRAH!" she roared, swinging the heavy battleaxe at her target. Her roll was an 11, but with Hew, she got a modifier of +7, allowing her to boost that result to 18, a solid blow. The axe came in heavily and crashed into the ghoul's torso, making it shriek as red light erupted from the impact point. Having used both hands, a d8 determined the damage, a total of 8.

"Kathra, move to the side so I can shoot my spells!" Medea shouted to her friend.

"Right!" Kathra nodded, pulling her axe back from the writhing ghoul before moving back to press herself against the side of the tunnel.

Medea saw her chance and stepped forward past Rael. Praying she had the angling right lest Kathra get caught in it, she lifted her hands and unleashed her spell, "_Burning Hands!_"

The fires blew through the air and Kathra found the front of her leather armor smolder from how closely the flames had come to her. The ghouls and the ochre jelly were not nearly as lucky as the full effects of the spell came down on them. All had a red d20 launch from them, but only one ghoul made the save, ducking only to be singed across its back while the remaining two ghouls and the jelly took the brunt of the attack head on. As three d6 dropped to show damage, the three creatures took 12 damage, reducing one ghoul to a charred corpse which vanished in a flash of purple. The singed ghoul, Kathra's target, only took 6 damage from the spell.

The ghouls seemed to get their wits back and the first roared and lunged at Kathra, aiming to carve her up so to devour her flesh. Its attack rolled a total of 16, letting the claws rake across Kathra's torso, digging into her flesh with glowing red light. As the ghoul drew back, Kathra felt her body stiffening slightly and her d20 flew to try and save her from the ghoul's paralyzing touch. The dice landed favorably on a total of 11, allowing her to shake off the effect.

The other ghoul snarled and raced for where Medea stood, the lady wizard mentally thanking her stars she remembered _Mage _Armor while they were starting to explore the tunnels. The ghoul came at her with its claws swiping. Its attack rolled only a 1, marking an instant failure as it nearly tripped on a rock, forcing it to stop attacking.

"My turn!" Rael growled, lunging for the ghoul that attacked medea with Talon in hand. His attack rolled strong and Talon came crashing down on the ghoul's body in a flash of red. The blow did 13 damage according to the dice, letting Rael cut the ghoul in two before the corpse vanished.

"Outta my way!" Dorn shouted, drawing another arrow, but taking aim at the ochre jelly. "_Hail of Thorns!_" The arrow flew past his friends and the ghoul, heading for the slimy mass of the ochre jelly. The arrow flashed before green thorns exploded from it, flying in the same direction. The jelly's dice appeared for a saving throw, but a result of 6 turned 4 proved no help. The arrow sunk in, making the jelly wiggle and shake with a squeal before it was peppered with numerous thorns, increasing the damage. As the dice fell, the jelly took 18 damage from Dorn's magic attack.

"Yeah!" Dorn cheered at the sight of the impact.

The ooze wiggled before it began to slither down the hallway towards the group of combatants. It was amazingly slow, moving only ten feet before Kathra felt her turn had come and she was able to attack again. Hefting Hew, she swung for the ghoul that hit her and aimed to split its skull in two. Her dice agreed with a result of 19. With a damage roll of 9, the ghoul's head was split down the middle before it vanished in a blast of blue and purple.

"Just the slime left!" Kathra shouted to her friends.

"Then let's take care of it!" Medea nodded before pointing at the slime, "_Ray of Frost!_" Medea's attack, and her dice, flew true, having the dame of cold magic crash against the jelly's form. The result was a respectable 5 damage and the ooze all but freezing to the spot on the rocky ground.

Rael looked back to his friend, "Dorn, oozes have immunity or resistance to some attacks right?"

"Um...yeah," Dorn nodded. "Ah, acid does nothing to them since they are acidic. I think you can't slash them...oh!" he quickly dug out his d20 and dropped it to the floor, asking for an Arcana Check. The dice rolled a 17 turned 19 and Dorn perked up as the dice vanished, "They're immune to lightning and slashing attacks!"

"Ah great!" Rael grumbled. "All of my weapons slash! I'll pass."

"Fine! My arrows should work!" Dorn drew another arrow before letting it fly at the semi-frozen jelly. His dice was good, and the arrow sunk into the ooze with a slick cutting sound. His d8 landed on a 6, becoming a 10, causing the jelly to screech before it began to sag and its body vanished in a haze of green and purple.

"Guh! Well that was a thing," Medea sighed, dropping her hands.

"I'll say," Dorn agreed, picking up his torch again. "Still, if more of these things are wandering around, I don't want to get caught in tight tunnels like this again. Remember, I need light to see, you guys don't."

"No kidding," Kathra sighed. "Come on, I'll lead in case we see something which can tell us where to go."

The group did continue going east before they found a few more turns before they came to a wall which had an actual door in it. Thinking it to have potential, Dorn shushed his friends before he leaned against the door to listen, rolling his dice for a Perception check. A total of 19 had him hear the sounds of crunching and splintering, meaning something was inside.

Dorn held a finger to his lips and gestured for his friends to draw their weapons. They did so and Dorn gently pushed the door open. He pulled his torch back so the light wouldn't enter the room and told his friends to go first. Their darkvision allowed them to see what was inside, Rael and Kathra taking the lead.

Inside the room were a few orderly stone bunks with a rusted brazier with cold coals in the middle of the room. However, in the room were three gray-skinned figures squatted down and gnawing almost desperately on old bones which littered the floor.

Kathra grimaced and looked to Rael as he nodded, both of them drawing Hew and Talon. Weapons firmly in hand, the two frontline fighters charged at the figures with Kathra declaring themselves rather loudly, "Surprise motherfuckers!"

The three ghouls snapped up just as the blades, and initiative dice, began coming at them

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

After getting their breath back from the fight with the skeletons, the group left the two rooms at the old entrance of the mine to return to the entry hall. A short discussion had them decide to keep going east, passing through another cavernous tunnel. After walking for a length of time, they came out into another cavern.

To their surprise, the cavern had a number of different kinds of fungus which carpeted portions of the floor while shelf fungus grew on the stalagmites. Some of the mushrooms were large puffballs which were responsible for the glowing which lit the cavern.

"Wow. How pretty," Aryn gasped.

"Yeah. Think the dwarves cultivated these?" asked Romeus.

"Hard to say. Can we do a check to see if the mushrooms are dangerous?" asked Thalai.

"Oh, sure," Romeus nodded. "Just warning you, my Nature skill's not so good." Shuffling through his pockets, he tossed his d20 to do a check. Resulting in a total of 15, Romeus got his false memories, "Okay, these mushrooms on the floor and the puffballs are likely to begin shooting spores if they're disturbed. Likely they'd poison us if we breathe them in."

"So no touchie the fungus. Easy," Thalai nodded.

The group began to travel across the cavern, taking care to not touch any of the carpets of fungus.

Passing past some stalagmites, the group tried to keep from touching any of the mushrooms. As they walked, they suddenly heard a popping noise like bubbles in a thick liquid from above. The group looked up and saw a blob of yellow above them. They all gasped before the ooze began to drop and the group scattered as the ooze landed where they stood. As it splattered on the ground, it hit several patches of fungus causing clouds of green spores to rise up.

"Shit!" Medusa cursed.

"We'll just fuck this thing up! Initiative!" Thalai roared, holding her axe. The dice was set and the group prepared for battle. Romeus got to have the turn first. As he prepared to move, he coughed as the spores from the fungus were inhaled. A d20 flew, landing on a 9 turned 12 for a constitution saving throw from the poisonous spores. The result let Romeus shrug off the spores as he prepared for an attack.

"_Vicious Mockery!_" he declared, playing the quick tune with mocking sylvan words for the ooze. The ooze made an attempt at a saving throw, but it failed at an 11. A ripple of red passed over the ooze as it took 3 points of psychic damage. It would also suffer disadvantage on its next attack.

Andi's turn passed as she didn't wish to leave Medusa, plus she was completely immune to the poisonous spores so the imperial cobra was more than happy to remain where she was. Things then moved to Thalai's turn as she coughed to to deal with the possible damage from the poisonous spores. A natural 20 saved her as she charged at the slime with her axe.

"No! Thalai! Don't!" Medusa shouted out at the charging goliath. Thalai didn't notice as she swung at the jelly. Her attack rolled successful and her axe landed with a hard smash, cutting the jelly in two. However, no damage dice rolled and the two piles of yellow goo quivered before they proved to be too creatures.

"Oh god dammit Thalai," Medusa groaned.

"What happened?!" Thalai gaped.

"It's an ooze! This kind splits in two when it's slashed, obviously!" Medusa snapped. "Use a different attack type!"

Aryn took her turn, managing to pass the saving throw before she held up her symbol at the leftmost jelly, "_Sacred Flame!_" The flame flew at the jelly, which it tried to make a Dexterity saving throw, barely failing at an 11 before the flames hit, making it squeal and shudder, taking 6 damage.

The two oozes quivered and began to move as the spores sank into their surfaces, making a green stain on their forms. Both jellys quivered as the poison took hold of them and they failed their saving throws. Both had three d6 appear as they took poison damage. One took 6 damage and the other took 11.

The two slimes, now a yellow-green color, moved for Thalai before pseudopods lifted from their forms and lashed out at the goliath woman. With their sickly movements though, the attacks were wobbly and rolled at a disadvantage. Thalai dodged the first attack, and then the second with true ease.

The resident warlock made her Constitution saving throw with advantage with her connection to the Serpent Empress. Medusa lifted her staff and took ai at a weaker ooze, "_Eldritch Blast!_" The serpentine blast flew before her attack roll was made. The attack was rolled at 17 and the last impacted against the ooze, making it splatter at 11 damage, making the body dissolve into purple and green light.

Romeus coughed and rolled for another saving throw, managing to pass before he went at the remaining blob with his rapier. A total of 18 allowed the hit, the rapier piercing the ochre jelly's form. A d8 rolled to deal a total of 6 damage to the jelly.

Aryn passed her saving throw before she unleashed another _Sacred Flame_ at the jelly. The jelly failed utterly at a 1 and the flames struck it. The jelly was burned away as the damage was too much for it, ending the monster threat in the fungal caves.

"Now let's get out of here!" Aryn shouted to her friends.

The group ran for the far end of the cavern, forced to make another Constitution saving throw in the process, but they passed it. Coming to the end of the cavern, they coughed and hackled the last of the spores out of their lungs.

The group pressed on, travelling north before coming to another room. The ceiling was dotted with glimmering minerals which made them look like a night sky. It was a large cavern and even had two stone structures stood on the right side, but looked like they were made to be comfortable for humans rather than dwarves like the tunnels were.

"Wow. Nice," Romeus nodded in admiration. "Okay, so where do we go? Check out the buildings?"

"Duh," Thalai nodded. She trotted over to the first of the two buildings and checked the doors. They were scorched to the point that the metal hinges were partially melted. Thalai frowned and pushed at the doors, using her strength to try and force it. Her d20 dropped as she struggled with it, rolling a total of 21. With a metallic groan, the doors were forced open.

Inside the room, everything was blackened by a fire and covered in ashes. Everything was scorched or in splintered. The only thing that was left which seemed to be intact was a chest which sat at the end of the bed.

As Thalai stepped inside, there was a loud bellow before the ashes in the middle of the room erupted in smoke before a humanoid figure rose up. It was skeletal with black robes and a hood covering a skeletal face with glowing yellow eyes.

"Oh crap," Thalai gulped.

The wraith gave off a hiss before it spoke, "_Your presence is offensive to me, your life forfeit! My treasures are mine alone, not yours to plunder!_"

"Now, now hold on!" Thalai tried to calm the spirit down.

The wraith was in no mood to listen as it lunged at Thalai with a wail and its bony claws outstretched. Thalai yelped and dove out of the way and the wraith soared into the wider cavern with a snarl. The other group members stumbled back as the wraith hung in the air with a snarl.

"Oh shit!" Romeus cried out. "Why a ghost? Only magic attacks can hurt them!"

"We've got plenty of that!" Medusa hissed. "Initiative!"

The dice rolled and the wraith stopped, looking at the dice, one of the few creatures aside from the group that seemed able to do so. Its glowing eyes narrowed in suspicion at what might be happening. When the order was set, Andi got the first turn. She decided to stay on Medusa's shoulders and let Romeus take the next turn.

"_Vicious Mockery!_" Romeus went with his standby. The wraith attempted to make a Wisdom saving throw, but failed. The wraith wailed and clutched his head as the red light came from its head. It took only 2 damage, but the side effects were more valuable.

Medusa raised her staff, aimed at the wraith before activating her _Mage Armor_ spell. That was enough for her turn and it moved to Thalai. The goliath looked nervous as she gripped her axe but was sure that her simple weapons not going to do much, but she decided to try anyway. Flying into a rage, she charged at the wraith.

Crossing 20 feet to run at the wraith, her aura exploded from her, taking the form of a mammoth as she charged at the wraith. Coming up to the wraith, she swung hard at her opponent with her axe. She swung hard, letting the attack roll. With a total of 21. The axe crashed into the wraith in a flash of yellow overlaid with a mammoth's tusk. She dealt the creature 13 damage, and the wraith bellowed as it had to do a Strength saving throw. The wraith was tossed back where it crashed to the floor with a bellow.

"How the hell did she do that?!" cried Medusa.

Romeus blinked, but then got the idea, "Oh! She used the Totem Warrior effect! It must have counted as a magical attack since it was empowered by her totem spirit!"

With the wraith down, Thalai backed away 10 feet to prepare for another charge., allowing the wraith to get up. It's eyes flared with rage, "You will all suffer for this indignity!" Looking around, its eyes landed on Medusa and Aryn before they lit in greed. It then swooped at Medusa, "Give me your secrets!"

Coming in close to Medusa, it rolled for an attack, one done at a disadvantage. Its hands glowed with necrotic energy which swiped at her. Medusa managed to duck underneath as its attack roll was a total of 12, just missing.

"Back off!" Aryn shouted at the wraith, lifting her holy symbol. "_Guiding Bolt!_" Her dice rolled, landing on a natural 20 which caused the beam to explode almost like a shining beam of oceanic light at the wraith. The spectral creature's eyes widened as it noticed the incoming attack, failing to avoid it before the beam crashed against it with a screech of agony. It staggered from the blast as eight d6 rolled, totalling a grand total of 27 damage.

"Another _Vicious Mockery!_" Romeus continued, playing another insulting tune for the wraith. It rolled for another saving throw. However, the wraith was more prepared for it and its eyes flared as the attack failed, dealing no damage.

"I've got this!" Medusa declared, pointing her staff at the wraith, "_Eldritch Blast!_" Her beam was launched at the angry spirit. Her roll totaled 15, but it worked as the beam crashed into the wraith, dealing another 11 damage to it.

"Thalai! Finish it!" Medusa shouted to her friend.

Thalai roared and ran at the wraith, her form being overlapped by the glowing yellow form of a mammoth as she came up upon the wraith and swung her axe at it again. Her roll of 23 allowed the hit, smashing the spectral tusk of her totem animal against the wraith. The weapon crashed against the wraith, dealing 16 damage. The axe and tusk crashed into the wraith, eliciting a screech before it exploded in black smoke and motes of four colors of light.

"Whoo! We win!" Thalai cheered. "Okay, spoils?"

"Right, in the room," Romeus nodded.

The group returned to the room where the wraith had been. Inside had been ruined, but there were still some things which had stayed intact. Thalai went straight for the chest. The fire damage destroyed the lock, letting the chest open without difficulties.

"Alright!" Thalai grinned, seeing inside. Inside the chest was, after a count, 1,100 copper pieces, 160 silver pieces, 50 electrum pieces, three diamonds, and a smoking pipe inlaid with platinum which was likely worth money.

Thalai immediately began splitting the loot, keeping the pipe since she had scored the killing blow. Medusa turned her attention to the shelves on the room, finding several books which looked like they had been preserved by magic. Medusa tossed her dice to make an Investigation check. She only rolled a total of 6, so she did not see anything of interest, the books being histories.

Happy with their new loot, the others aside from Thalai each getting a diamond, but finding nothing else of interest in the room. They moved and returned to the starry chamber before moving up to the last building in the room. The doors they found on the western side were slightly stuck, but Thalai pushed them open.

Before they could try to enter, they heard shouted and cries from a tunnel heading west behind them. Worse, they all recognized the voices coming from the distance.

"Let's go!" Medusa shouted, leading the charge for the tunnel.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Dorn, Medea, Rael, Kathra**

The group had made short work of the three ghouls in the barracks, coming back out after looking through the ruins and found nothing but stone bunks and gnawed bones. Aside from experience, it didn't serve much but to slow them down.

They traveled north, but then west through the tunnel before they saw a stairway leading out of the tunnels.

"Finally," Rael huffed as they hit the stairs.

"Babies. Mines aren't so bad," Kathra mocked playfully as they stepped up the stairs. Coming out to the top, they saw that they were on the highest of three escarpments inside a large cavern, Dorn's torch illuminating only a part of the one they were on. From the faint light at the edge, several tables could be seen, but the grounds were littered with skeletons from a number of corpses.

"Sheesh," Dorn winced, shaking his head. "What a waste."

"Yeah," Kathra nodded sadly.

As they contemplated their next move, a screech echoed through the cavern before the sounds of bare feet padding on stone echoed through the air. The group tensed and they began drawing weapons. Dorn, wishing to save his arrows, dropped his torch so he could still see.

Soon, emerging from the darkness came the pale bodies of seven ghouls that were screeching and their mouths dripping saliva as they hungered for the flesh of the four.

"Oh come on! Initiative!" Medea hissed angrily. The dice was rolled and the order was set. Seeing the ghouls were in the middle of the cavern, Rael took out his own bow and took aim at the ghouls before he let his dice fly. His attack was a natural 20, making the arrow shine as it impacted against a ghoul for 15 damage.

Dorn reluctantly set his sword back before he drew another arrow and let it fly at one of the approaching ghouls. His attack rolled well and the arrow sank into the ghoul's chest, making it shriek in pain. The d8 revealed 7 damage dealt to the creature.

Kathra pulled an arrow of her own, shooting at one of the wounded ghouls to cut down on the ghouls charging at them. Her roll of 24 helped her strike the ghoul Rael hit, dealing a total of 8 damage, striking the ghoul in the head and causing it to vanish in a haze of yellow and blue.

The ghouls kept their rampage going, running to the ledge of the level the four adventurers were on. The ledge offered them some cover, save for the two at the stairs. Still, it proved to be an opening that Medea needed as she took aim at one of the ghouls. One which was already wounded. "_Ray of Frost!_"

Medea's roll of 19 allowed her beam to strike and crash against the wounded ghoul. The d8 for damage rolled as the attack struck, dealing 5 damage which made the ghoul freeze and shatter, vanishing in a haze of green and purple.

"Five left," Medea panted.

Rael nodded and grabbed his greatsword and ran to the ledge, using the extra leverage to stab at one of the ghouls clawing at the ledge. His roll of 7 turned to 13, allowing the blow to land with a flash of red as a d8 dropped to show that a total of 9 damage was dealt.

Dorn drew his own greatsword and chose another ghoul to do the same, stabbing at the ghoul. His dice roll proved favorable as he cut deeply into it. Two d6 rolled for damage, dealing 9 damage of his own.

Finally, Kathra picked her own target at the ledge and drew both of her swords and stabbed at the ghoul of her choice. Both attacks rolled a d12, and both were successful at 12 or higher. Both blades stabbed into the shoulders of the ghoul, dealing a total of 13 damage to her own ghoul.

Despite the wounds they took, the ghouls snarled and began climbing up the sides of the ledge. In tabletop terms, it probably cost them some movement, but with three targets so close, they didn't mind. Two ghouls each attacked Dorn and Rael while the fifth went for Kathra, all of them with claws flashing.

Kathra's opponent slashed at her, but she ducked around it to avoid the paralyzing effect. The first attack was a clear miss, Dorn's ranger reflexes saving him from an attack. The second was a critical hit, its claws glowing red as they slashed across Dorn's torso, eliciting a cry of pain.

"Dorn!" medea cried out.

"I'm still...here," Dorn grunted as he felt the paralyzing effect roll in. His constitution roll hit to a 9 at total, and his body stiffened as the paralyzing effect hit in and he collapsed, unable to move. "Crap…"

The last two ghouls lunged for Rael with their own claws. The first ghoul missed, but against all odds, the second scored a critical of its own, it's claws shining before it cut deeply into Rael's body, making him cry out in pain. Unlike Dorn, Rael was immune to the paralyzing touch thanks to his elven blood. It didn't make it hurt any less.

Medea grimaced and looked to the two ghouls menacing a paralyzed Dorn and she saw Dorn had fallen to the ground. Feeling he was out of the way, she aimed slightly high before she unleashed her spell on the pair of ghouls, "_Burning Hands!_"

The flames flew, but the spell was aimed higher so to miss Dorn, and the two ghouls rolled for a Dexterity saving throw. One managed to pass with a 20, but the other failed with a 7. The d6 dropped for a total of 10 damage. One ghoul became heavily scorched while the other was singed, one taking 10 for the failure, while the other took 5 for the success as it ducked down to avoid the worst of it.

Rael grunted, seeing his friend was down and he was hit hard. Gripping Talon, he kept at his assault on the ghoul of his choice. His roll was a 9 turned 15 which let the blade strike the already wounded ghoul. Using d10, he rolled a total of 11 damage to that ghoul. Once it struck, the ghoul screeched, but did not die.

"Oh come on!" he groaned.

Dorn groaned as he struggled against the paralysis, knowing his turn wouldn't be moving. Focusing, he tried to break the paralysis, letting his d20 roll rolled an 8, boosted to an 11, breaking the effect as Dorn felt his muscles slacken and he could move again.

"Suck on this!" Kathra shouted, slashing at her target. Her roll of 14 meant a hit as the blade dug into the ghoul, bringing more red light from the wound. Her d6 rolled a 5 turned 9, cutting the ghoul down in a flash of blue.

Satisfied the ghoul was dead, Kathra turned and charged at one of the ghouls menacing Dorn in his downed form. Coming up to its side, she stabbed at the ghoul's side. Her roll shone as a natural 20, making her sword flash as she pierced the ghoul's side in a burst of power. Her d6 flew, totalling 10, and then got boosted to 14. The attack made the blue light burst from the ghoul's eyes and mouth before it burst into motes of purple and blue light.

Three ghouls remained as they attacked. The first dove for Dorn, seeing him prone and an easy meal. It opened it's mouth wide to try and bite him and taste his flesh. An attack roll came, landing on the ground to show a total of 9 despite it's advantage.. The ghoul lunged, but Dorn lifted his foot and pushed the undead back, preventing the damage.

"_Ray of Frost!_" Medea shouted, sending her magic attack at the last ghoul menacing Dorn. Sadly, the spell went wide and she missed, putting a layer of frost on the far wall.

Rael growled and swung at his wounded ghoul, sick of getting held up by them. A roll of 16 let his sword hit once again. The d8 landed on a one, but the modifier put it up to 5. The blade met the ghoul's neck and beheaded it, making the body vanish into a haze of yellow.

Dorn managed to pull himself up to his feet and gripping his greatsword, slashed at the last ghoul that was against him. His roll of 17 let the blow land and deal 12 damage, cutting the ghoul through the chest in a bisection. "Stay dead this time!"

Kathra nodded and turned to run for the last ghoul, both swords at the ready. Coming in on it's back,s he slashed with both of her weapons. Both rolls were 12 or higher and slashed across its back, digging deep slashes into its flesh for 13 damage.

The ghoul shrieked and spun around, slashing at Kathra with its claws. It's roll was a total of 16, slashing Kathra across the torso, eliciting a scream. She still only took 6 damage, but she still had to do a saving throw, but fortunately passed.

"_Ray of Frost!_" Medea shouted, launching her spell at the ghoul. It proved to be a natural 20, making the spell fly like a beam of cryogenic energy at the ghoul. Two d8 flew, making a total of 9 which froze the ghoul over before it shattered in a haze of purple and blue.

"Guh," Dorn slumped, Rael not far behind him as they struggled to recover from the wounds they took from the fight. "Not good."

"No shit," Rael groaned. "Should we try to heal?"

"No," Kathra shook her head. "We only have a few healing potions and abilities. Let's find a safe spot to rest instead."

"Either way works for me," Medea nodded.

The group quickly recovered and began passing through the cavern, wishing to keep exploring as well as find a spot to recover from their wounds. Reaching the far end of the cavern, they found a passage heading north. Passing through, they came out to another chamber

The chamber itself was large, revealing a massive blast furnace and mechanical bellows which looked like it was powered by a large waterwheel, although where the river should have been was a dry channel. However, what drew the attention of the four was the eight zombie dwarves milling about the room and a skull floating above covered in green flames.

As they stepped inside the cavern, the flameskull spun and stared down at them with glowing red eye sockets. Seeing the group, it opened its mouth and let out a scream which made the zombies jerk up.

"SHIT!" Dorn hissed, grabbing at his sword.

The zombies moaned and began to shamble for the group as the flaming skull roared from above. The four began to draw their weapons, preparing for another fight.

"DORN!" Medusa's voice suddenly rang out. Attention turned to the east, seeing Medusa there with the rest of their friends.

Dorn saw his sister, and then looked to the path. The zombies were too many and he didn't know the shape his friends were in. Also, they weren't sure what the flameskull was capable of either. With an action in mind, he looked to his friends, "RUN!"

Dorn immediately dashed along the east wall, heading to where his sister was, his friends brooking no argument as they dashed after their friend. Reaching Medusa's group, no one hesitated and beat feet away. Numbers may have been even, but flameskulls were not an opponent to take lightly even at their levels.

Coming back to the starry cavern, they stopped, huffing for breath, "They following?"

"Nope," Romeus looked down the tunnel, seeing the zombies turn still again. "Looks like they're just there to guard the room."

"Good for them," Kathra huffed. "You got a safe place to rest? We're a little messed up."

"I can tell," Medusa nodded, seeing the glowing red marks on her brother and friends. "We just opened up a spot we can use. This way."

The weary group approached the building that Thalai managed to force open. Filtering inside, Thalai pulled the doors shut, allowing everyone to breath a sigh of relief. They checked their surroundings, seeing several workbenches with abandoned tools on them. In the middle of the room was a brazier with flickering green flames, obviously magical in nature.

"_Oh, hello._"

And behind it, was a floating green creature which was about four feet in diameter. It had four eyestalks coming from its sides, two on each side. The center held a large eye and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. Despite having a mouth, it seemed to speak with psychic thoughts instead.

"Oh fuck," Kathra groaned.

Romeus gulped, but kept his cool, "Well, hello there! Sorry for barging in like this, but the zombies make things a little dangerous out there."

"_Maybe for you little things. But I don't mind them,_" the green creature shrugged, if a floating head could shrug at all. "_Now, who are you? Why are you here?_"

Romeus blinked, but thought fast, "Well, we're workers for the new owners of the mine, here to clear out the pests, keep looters out, and...uh, generally clean up the place so we can begin mining again."

"_Oooooh. So, you're here to open up again? Wait, when did it close?_" the creature asked in confusion.

"Ah, heh, when we had that nasty little orc problem a while ago," Romeus gulped. "But we got rid of them and now we're ready to open up. Why are you here?"

"_Oh, I was summoned to protect the Forge of Spells! Here the workers made their little trinkets. All they had to do was bathe what they wanted in the pretty green light and it was enchanted nicely. I always find it amusing how land walkers can tinker with things._" the floating creature grinned.

"And you're _still _here?" Medea blinked.

"_Of course!_" the creature snorted. "_The contract was stated for one hundred and one years of protecting the Forge of Spells. I never break a contract! It's the Spectator way!_"

Romeus blinked at how the creature seemed to be a little...loopy. Touching his d20, he let it drop, not that the spectator noticed, as he mentally focused on an insight check. The dice rolled a total of 18, making Romeus see that the spectator seemed to be more than loopy, it seemed downright unbalance. Still, it was obvious the thing was from another plane, so it maybe he could convince it to go back?

Stelling himself, Romeus continued, "Well, the new owners wanted me to pass along a message. All employees under the former owners are allowed to leave if they so wish. That includes anyone under contract, so, you're officially released."

"Romeus…" Dorn frowned.

"_Hmmm,_" the spectator frowned, gazing intently at the satyr. As it did so, Romeus' d20 began to roll once again. The Deception check was made as the die rolled to reveal a natural 20, making the die flash, not that the spectator saw it. Instead, it smiled. "_Good! This place is boring and I want to go home! Bye!_"

The spectator grinned before it suddenly poofed into a cloud of smoke and was simply gone. The group heaved a sigh of relief as they lost the tension in their muscles.

"You are one smooth mother Romeus," Rael sighed.

"Thank you," Romeus nodded. "Now let's try to get some rest."

The group all settled down and enjoyed the time to get some rest. Romeus took it upon himself to play a restful song, his _Song of Rest_ ability, as the others in the group began spending their stored Hit Dice to recover some of their hit points. They wanted to be ready for anything and everyone who needed them spent a hit dice along with the Song of Rest d6 put them back at normal, or at least close to it.

As they group rested, they discussed detail they had seen so far. Medea led the discussion, "Anyone see any signs of the Black Spider or his men?"

"No. Just stirges, skeletons, and a ghost of some kind," Aryn shook her head.

"We found a box with some stuff inside, but there's no key," Medusa shrugged. "And last I checked, none of us are Rogues."

"We should have considered that," Rael muttered. "Anyway, we just found more ghouls and zombies from the dwarves or whoever died in here when the orcs raided it."

"On the plus side, the Black Spider may be having just as much trouble as we are," Thalai offered. "That might buy us some time anyway."

"Good thing too," Kathra nodded, her focus on her boots to attune them to her. The added movement was a big plus for her. An extra 5 feet may seem small, but in a fight it could be crucial in her movements and with the battle with the Black Spider coming up, any advantage could be crucial.

After the rest, Medea immediately took an interest in the flickering green flames. An Arcana check had her discover the properties of the flame which had her get excited with what she managed to discover.

"You won't believe it!" she grinned. "This flame is a focal point for the natural magics of the mine! If we let the flames bathe a nonmagical weapon or armor, they become +1 for a time!"

"Really?" Dorn blinked, but then got an idea. Dorn collected the arrows from his quiver, and restocked from arrows in his pack. Taking them in hand, he placed the arrows in the green flames, letting them lick over the projectiles, but not burn the wood or fletching.

As the arrows were bathed, an arcane purple d12 dropped from the brazier and landed to reveal an 8. Medea nodded at the sight and looked to Dorn, "That means that for eight hours, these arrows will be +1 arrows and be considered magical attacks."

"Sweet!" Dorn grinned, taking the arrows back, seeing a green glow coming from them for a moment.

"Let me do my trident!" Aryn smiled.

"My axe too!" Thalai wanted in on the action. Both items were bathed and Thalai's axe was enchanted to last 2 hours while Aryn's trident would last for 11 hours. Thalai pouted slightly seeing she only had a magical axe for two hours, but two hours were really all she needed for this adventure.

At the southeast corner of the room, Romeus managed to find some items which would help the party. After using the Identify spell as a ritual, he determined that a mace he found called _Lightbringer_ was a +1 mace which could have the brass sun-shaped head light up and deal radiant damage when it hit something. With it was a +1 breastplate called _Dragonguard_ which granted an advantage on saving throws against breath weapons of anything which was draconic.

Medusa took Lightbringer, stating that she couldn't always use Eldritch Blast on everything around her. Warlocks were a mix between melee and long range, so having the extra muscle wouldn't be a bad idea. Rael on the other hand got to use Dragonguard, being one of the tanks on the team and Thalai was better off without armor as a barbarian.

"We scored big," Medusa grinned, admiring her new mace.

"Definitely," Rael nodded, tapping on the breastplate which had a polished gold dragon emblazoned on the front. It offered better protection than his chain mail at 17 AC, but also was lighter and didn't give him a disadvantage in stealth.

"Okay, we're ready then," Dorn nodded, slinging his quiver over his shoulder with his +1 arrows in it. "Should we try to plow through the zombies and that floating skull, or do we try to go around?"

"I think we're getting into the home stretch here," Kathra frowned. "I'd rather avoid conflict if we could so we can hit The Black Spider at our full strength."

A chorus of agreements made Dorn nod, "Okay. So we go north instead of east again. Then let's get moving."

The party moved out, Thalai, Katha, and Rael in the lead with Medusa and Aryn in the middle and Dorn and Medea at the back. They walked to the north end of the cavern, moving through a winding tunnel before coming out to an open cavern which was mostly filled with water save for a ledge to travel over. It didn't escape anyone's notice that the booming sounds which echoed through the mines were loudest in that area, likely the source of the noise and the mine's name.

With no enemies or treasure around, the group kept moving, finding a tunnel heading east. The travel was longer, but it was silent save for the echoing booms from the room behind them. As they reached the end of the tunnels, they began hearing grunts and shifting stone.

The group came to the end of the tunnel and peered around. To the south, there was a collapsed floor area which had a river running to a tunnel which ran under some rock and out of the caves. At the southern end, there was activity. A pair of bugbears were carefully picking rocks from a pile of rubble while a third was keeping watch, a hand on his weapon. With them, arms crossed and looking impatient, was what looked like a male drow.

"Company," Kathra whispered.

Everyone moved to take a look and gaze at their new opponents. Dorn rubbed his chin and picked a target. Drawing one of his new arrows, he hopped from his perch and landed inside the pit. He gestured to his friends to follow, and one by one they leaped to the ground, trying not to make any noise.

He dared not get closer and instead drew a bead on the drow, pegging him as a supervisor, perhaps even someone The Black Spider trusted. Taking him out would be a key moment.

"Here we go," Dorn whispered before letting the arrow fly.

The arrow flew, almost gleaming as it did so, while his d20 did the same. It landed on a total of 19, letting the projectile hit, digging into the drow's shoulder as his back was turned. The drow cried out in shock and pain from the attack, losing 12 hp in the process. The bugbears looked to their superior, eyes wide in surprise.

"Surprise! Initiative!" Dorn shouted out, causing the dice to roll from the surprised enemies as well as their own group. "Aim for the drow!"

"Hello curbstomp!" Romeus cackled as he plucked the strings of his lute and played a _Vicious Mockery_ for the drow. The music came to the drow, but he growled, his d20 reading a 19, meaning he shrugged the effects of the spell off.

Medea lifted her hand, pointing it at the nearest bugbear, the guard, and fired off her _Ray of Frost_. A natural 20 had a beam of cold energy crash into the stunned bugbear, hitting him for 10 damage.

Stunned as they were, the bugbears didn't have the state of mind to try and fight back. Thalai grinned, seeing the easy prey and ran at the drow, hefting her enchanted axe up. Coming to the drow, she roared as she swung with all of her might. Her roll of 22 had the axe smash into the side of the drow, making him yell in pain, losing 14 hit points in the process.

The drow was momentarily stunned by the assault and surprise, unable to fight back for the round. Kathra cackled and dashed for the guard bugbear, unleashing her battleaxe Hew on it. A roll of 21 had her axe crash into the bugbear with a crunching noise, dealing another 14 damage to it.

Rael moved closer to his friends, but his movement fell short as he couldn't get close enough, having started from slightly further away. Andi was the same as Medusa let her loose to sneak up on the enemies and attack if she had an opening. Dorn changed his angle, moving a few feet to get a view of the drow and fired another arrow. Even a roll of 7 was enough as his modifiers boosted it to 16. The arrow struck the drow for 12 damage, making him cry out again, but his form also rippled as if he was a reflection in the water.

Medusa, gripping her mace and her staff moved ahead with Aryn next to her, the pair of them only reaching where Rael was, unable to move further and not having the clear range for an attack.

Romeus quickly had his turn again and decided to try and get the drow one more time with a _Vicious Mockery._ Again, the drow rolled for a saving throw, landing a 13 which was just enough to avoid the effects, making Romeus grumble.

Medea kept focus on her own bugbear target and fired another _Ray of Frost_, shooting the beam of cold at the bugbear she picked out. Her roll was successful at 25, letting the ray of cold crash into the bugbear, dealing 7 damage, freezing the bugbear and shattering it in a haze of purple and blue.

The remaining two bugbears, getting over their shock, picked up their morningstars and roared before charging at their nearest enemies, mainly Kathra and Thalai. The first came on Kathra like a furry beast, which it was, before savagely swinging at her. The dice rolled a 23, letting the morningstar income to deal damage, which the _three _dice would reveal was 12.

"_Parry!_" Kathra quickly shouted, lifting her own weapon to defend herself. The morningstar crashed into her, the spines digger into her side, but the weapon was blocked mostly with her own, dealing only 4 damage rather than 12.

The second bugbear swung at Thalai, roaring loudly. Unlike its comrade, this bugbear failed to strike as she parried, the blow, savagely grinning at the creature.

"Don't got time for you," Thalai muttered before she took another swing at the drow she had been attacking before. Swinging hard, her dice rolled to show a 20, a critical hit. The axe erupted in shining yellow energy before it crashed into the silent drow's shoulder, making him cry out in pain, two d12 totalling 22 damage. The cut cleaved the drow in two, the pieces shimmering to reveal a doppelganger before they vanished entirely.

With the doppelganger gone, Kathra decided it was time to get revenge on the bugbear that attacked her. Heaving Hew, she swung at the bugbear. Her axe and dice were true, burying the axe into the bugbear's side. The wound was moderate, only dealing 5 damage, but Kathra felt vindicated.

Rael followed up, running to the bugbear attacking his dwarf friend and slashed at it with Talon. A roll of 19 let the blade sink into the bugbear, making it roar in pain, but not give up. As the blade finished its cut, Rael saw his damage dice roll a total of 11.

Medusa moved as her turn came and she finally managed to get a clear shot at one of the bugbears. Pointing her staff, she summoned her patron's power and fired another _Eldritch Blast_, sending the energy at her target. Her dice were good, letting the beam blast the bugbear, dealing 9 damage to it in a roar of pain.

Dorn saw the event and drew his greatsword, deciding to save his enchanted arrows before he ran at the bugbear Medusa struck. Lifting his blade, he swung it down on the goblinoid, aiming for maximum damage. A roll of 22 let the blade his, making the bugbear roar as it was dealt 10 damage overall.

"_Sacred Flame!_" Aryn called, pointing her symbol at the bugbear attacking Kathra and Rael. The oceanic flame flew and the bugbear attempted to move, but rolling a total of 5 had the attack hit it head on and deal it 4 damage.

"Let me please get _something_ out of this!" Romeus sighed as he ran to try and get the bugbears with his rapier. Coming upon the bugbear, he stabbed with his rapier. The dice allowed the roll with a total of 20, dealing 6 damage as he buried the blade in its gut.

"I'll standby in case things go wrong," Medea crossed her arms.

The bugbear roared and swung at Kathra once again, trying to finish what it started, defeat not even entering its mind. Rolling a 1, it missed entirely. The second bugbear swung at Kathra again, although it looked wobbly and not seeing straight. A die at its feet represented a failed saving throw of 9. It's swing was off centre, made at a disadvantage as 2 d20 rolled. A 4 turned 8 proved a miss.

"Time to finish this!" Thalai grunted as she swung her axe at the bugbear. A swing and the axe struck, beheading the sickened bugbear and making it burst into four colors of light.

"HAH!" Kathra roared, stabbing with Hew. The axe cut through the air, rolling a 17 total and was on target as it sunk into the goblinoid's hide. A d10 read a total of 8, letting the blade pierce the bugbear's guts and end it in a flash of blue and yellow.

"Whew," Kathra sighed, "Well, that wasn't so bad."

As she slung her axe over her shoulder, Medusa's party suddenly discovered themselves shrouded in light as their dice spun around them. The dwarf woman blinked as she saw it happen, "Wow. Talk about good timing."

Romeus's purple surroundings outlined what his rewards for a level up were.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"Oh, I'll definitely split my points between Dexterity and Charisma," Romeus sighed. Immediately his body felt more limber and his confidence rose.

_With this increase to your personality, it is easier to weave your magic around others. Your spell save DC has increased to 13 and your spell attack modifier has become +5._

_As you achieved a new level of power, you may now know seven spells and you now have three second level spell slots. _

_Choose your spells now._

Presented with his spells again, Romeus decided to pick out an extra bit of punch for the upcoming battle. Being a Bard, he didn't have outright firepower, but a list of spells that dealt other effects. Still, he found a good one, selecting the _Heat Metal_ spell. After the spell was chosen, he rolled the dice and managed to add 7 points to his hit points, making him ponder if he should have increased his Constitution instead.

As Medusa took a breath, her world lit up in green as her threshold was reached and she was leveled up. The words wrote themselves across her vision as her new features were unlocked.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"I choose increasing Dexterity by 1 and Charisma by 1," Medusa spoke. Immediately, her limbs felt a little more limber and her confidence rose slightly, indicating the change in her stats.

_With the increase in power, The Serpent Empress is pleased with your growth and permits you to hold more strength. Your spell save DC is now 13 and your spell attack bonus is now +5_

_With this new power comes new techniques. You may now know three cantrips and five spells you have spell levels for. Choose them now._

Medusa knew she could change her Eldritch Invocations as well, but she decided not to since they were both coming in handy, when she remembered to use them.

"I choose Blade Ward for a cantrip and Cloud of Daggers for a spell," Medusa announced. The extra protection and added spell power would come in handy for the route ahead.

As the spells were inscribed into her own spell lists, Medusa took a chance and rolled her d8 for her hit points. It served her well, rolling a 7 turned 10, which made her hit point total a 40.

"Oh! I choose Strength! Two points!" Thalai grinned, very pleased with the upgrade. Immediately she felt her muscle tone increase as her power in terms of muscle was increased. She then grabbed her d12, representing her future hit points, and gave it a roll. She grinned when she saw a total of ten added to her hit points.

Aryn saw much the same as she increased her own level, turning her world a deep ocean blue.

_With continued experience, you have surpassed your previous limitations. Your abilities can now improve. Choose one ability to increase by 2, or choose two of them to increase by 1. You may also decide to take a Feat instead of this increase._

"I increase my Wisdom by two," Aryn declared, and she felt her mind become clearer and her understanding of the world became brighter. She was glad for it, as her mistake during character creation made it harder to cast spells on creatures when she focused on martial ability.

_With your increase in power, so does your magic ability bestowed upon you by Eadro. Your spell save DC has been increased to 12 and your spell attack modifier is now +4_

_With your greater power channeled by your god, you now may know four cantrips, and you have 3 second level slots._

Once the notice was given, Aryn tried rolling her dice. She managed to score the highest part of her d8, and actual 8. With her modifier, it made her hit points increase by 10.

"Whew! Talk about good timing," Medusa grinned as the lights died down. "I guess cramming all these enemies in the mine is good for something."

"I did pick this adventure for a starting point for a reason," Dorn nodded.

"Nice way to break in the new players I guess. Us too," Medea ran a hand through her hair to get some dirt out. "Now just what were they all digging for?"

"Let's find out," Dorn shouldered his bow and walked to the rubble. "Come on, we can all look."

The group shifted around some of the rocks, which had them looking for an hour, but it was Dorn that found something when his Perception check broke 20. Deep underneath some of the rubble, was a smashed skeleton, but on its arms were a pair of polished gauntlets with golden ogre faces on them.

"Now what are these?" he muttered, lifting them up.

"I can help with that," Romeus offered. Taking the gauntlets, the group decided to wait for ten minutes as he cast the ritual. Without fail, it worked as he identified the gauntlets with a low whistle. "Wow. Okay, these are _Gauntlets of Ogre Power_ which can turn your strength stat to 19 if it already isn't. Might come in handy for our tougher people.

"Dibs!" Thalai raised her hand.

"We don't have time to attune them!" Medusa slapped her friend's shoulder. "Besides, you're plenty strong. We can stash the gauntlets and use them later."

Thalai huffed, but nodded, "Okay, fine."

The group continued, finding four ropes pinned into the rock floor on the west side of the pit. Likely it was how the Black Spider's men were traversing through the area without having to go around.

"Well, let's keep going and-!" Dorn began, but was suddenly cut off by a loud shriek.

All eyes turned to the far end of the cavern where figures were starting to emerge in the shadows. leading them was another drow, a long-haired woman dressed in nice gear. Flanking her on both sides were two bugbears. What was more terrifying to the group were the four ghouls which were flanking them.

"Hm," the drow woman frowned. "So the little rats have been scurrying around here. I would have thought you were wandering blind looking for this place."

"So you work for him too," Rael frowned, lifting his sword.

"Of course," the drow smirked. "I do so hate to do messy work, but it seems it can't be avoided now."

"Oh, you can try," Thalai snarled.

The drow just continued to smirk. Lifting her hand, she gave a sharp whistle through her fingers. It echoed through the cave before a stomping noise answered. Emerging from the darkness came a singular glowing eye before the distinct form of a nothic came to the edge of the ravine.

"Are you kidding?!" Medea gaped.

"Oh please. Did you honestly think a place such as this _wouldn't_ have a nothic running around?" the drow snorted. She looked to the aberration, "Here's my end of the deal. Meat and magic items. Have your fill in return for service."

"Yesssssss!" the nothic snarled in glee, eyeing the group hungrily. "I'll keep my end then."

"Good. Kill them all, take their gear," the drow ordered before turning to go back down the passage. "I'll alert the Black Spider. Have fun."

The nothic chuckled and jumped down from the rift, the four ghouls and two bugbears following, the cannibals drooling in anticipation of fresh meat.

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Dorn growled. "Initi-HMPH!"

Dorn found himself cut off when Medusa clamped her hand over his mouth. He blinked and looked to his sister.

"You're right. We don't have time for this," Medusa nodded, a stern frown on her face. "This just became time sensitive. If we take too long with all this, that drow is going to tell the Black Spider we're here and he may kill any hostage he's got or do something worse."

"Yeah, so we finish the fight fast and-!" Rael began.

"No," Romeus shook his head, drawing his sword and lute. "We'll have to split up again. It'll be hard, but we can handle this. It will just take time we can't waste."

"Wait, _are you serious?!_" Medea gaped. "You're seriously asking us to leave you?!"

"You guys started the adventure. Why not finish it?" Thalai shrugged with a grin.

"But leaving you?!" Rael tried to argue.

"Hey, we have four of us. That's a full party right?" asked Aryn, although she was clearly trembling. Not as much as when the adventure began for her, but it was visible. "We can handle it. I'm a healer, remember? We'll be okay."

"Guys…" Dorn weakly argued.

"No. You started this, so go finish it!" Medusa snapped. "We've got your backs! Now get up there and find the Black Spider before that drow does!" she gave a sharo push to Dorn's shoulder towards the ropes, "Now go!"

Dorn wanted to argue, rage, or drag Medusa over his shoulder if he could. Despite that, all of the instincts of his character told him that she was right. His friends were of the same conflict, their minds as normal teenagers playing a game versus the hardened adventurers who lived in the world they were playing in.

Finally, Dorn's sense of right and wrong won out "Let's go! Now!"

He turned and grabbed the rope before pulling himself up. His three friends did the same while the last four members stepped forward to face the new threat. They reached the top and ran for the passage leading out.

"You'd better survive Medusa! Or else I'll tell mom!" he shouted to her.

"Likewise!" Medusa snapped back. "Initiative!"

The words almost came like a pulse and being the outsider looking in for the first time. It was felt more than heard. None of the original four had time to appreciate it though as they kept running through the tunnel. Sounds of battle and the shrieks of ghouls echoed behind them, but they did their best to ignore it.

They ran up some stairs and ignored a passage leading south, knowing it led away from deeper in the mine. It wasn't long before they skidded to a halt in front of pair of double doors. They were elaborately carved, a staple of dwarven skills. Dwarven script lined the edges while the middle depicted a mountain silhouette with a gem in the middle.

"Oh boy. This is an important place," Kathra winced as she read the language on the doors. "Inside is a shrine to Dumathoin, the dwarven god of buried secrets. It seems like a good spot for a final fight."

"Okay guys. How do we go about it?" asked Dorn. "Kill the guy or think ahead and try to bring him in?"

"Well, considering his network, Sildar will want to see him brought in," Medea commented. "He might have intel the Lord's Alliance will want."

"Considering how tricky this guy is, that might give him a chance to escape later," Rael warned.

"With how fights can go, we may not get to decide," Medea reminded her friends. "So I say if we get the chance, let's take him alive. If we don't, then it can't be helped, but we _need_ to save Gunden's brother before anything else!"

"Aye!" Rael and Kathra agreed.

"Okay, so we hit hard and bring him down, worrying about the moral stuff later," Dorn nodded. "Seems like our typical games. That's a comfort."

"Oh let's just go already. The others will be waiting for us!" Kathra huffed, reaching for the doors.

Nodding to her friends, they all drew their weapons before Kathra pushed the doors open and the group rushed inside, she and Rael in the front while Dorn and Medea took the rear.

"Ah, so you all finally arrived. I was wondering when I would see you."

The room was supported with six pillars at the side. At the far end was a statue of a mighty-looking dwarf with emerald eyes and a war hammer across its lap. Half a dozen bedrolls and packs are neatly set near a makeshift fire pit while a table is at the west side of the room.

Eerily, making a circle in the main area of the room were four giant spiders, scuttling and turning to see the source of the noise at the doors. At the table were two bugbears, and between them was a well-dressed male dark elf in black clothing and a black cloak with a black metal staff topped with a spider effigy.

"I had hoped the creatures or my men would deal with you," the drow stood straight, revealing handsome elven features with dark skin and white hair framing his face. His features, while handsome, were devoid of warmth or empath as he turned to look at the group. "It seems I will have to deal with you myself. A pity."

"The Black Spider, I presume?" Rael frowned, feeling a natural dislike to the drow already.

"I am he," the drow smirked. "But please, call me Nezznar. I doubt we're going to have a pleasant relationship."

"Doubt it," Kathra frowned.

"So you're the one who recruited the Redbrands and attacked the Rockseekers?" Dorn growled.

"That and more," Nezznar coolly admitted. "Really, just finding this place was the only real challenge. The Rockseekers were properly paranoid about their find, but my agents were simply better at finding information. Everything else was neatly taken care of," his gaze then narrowed. "Until you eight appeared. Quite vexing, although only dealing with four of you is a small reprieve."

"Oh, just vexing?" Kathra grinned. "Then we're not doing our jobs right then."

"Yes," Nezznar rolled his eyes. "Still, you have been enough to warrant me at least knowing who you are. Surely you can offer me that much."

The HumanRanger grinned, keeping his bow up with his magic arrow notched, "Dorn Evenwood, Outlander Ranger."

The Dwarf Fighter hefted her axe, just itching to start fighting, "Kathra Fireforge, Wandering Craftswoman."

The Half-Elf Wizard lifted her staff, letting arcane power flow through it and her focus, "Medea Argos, Noble of Neverwinter."

The Elf Paladin raised his blade, letting his holy power give it a glow, "Rael Xiloscient, Folk Hero of the Forest"

"Cute," Nezznar retorted blandly, "I shall remember them, if only for the memoirs of my glory." He lifted his staff and pointed it at the group. "_Darkness! Mage Armor_"

The group's vision suddenly went out, bringing cries of shock and irritation. Dorn cussed before he called out the words to begin the battle, "Initiative!"

The dice rolled and began the battle for Wave Echo Cave began.

Rael got the first move and he charged through the darkness, knowing that there had to be a limit to it. He charged ten feet, bursting from the darkness only to find a spider in front of him and to his left with a bugbear diagonally from him.

"You will not prevail today, drow!" Rael roared, swinging at the spider on his left. His dice rolled, landing a two-handed blow while wielding Talon. The sword smashing into the spider, making a flash of red while the spider screeched, taking 12 damage.

"_Divine Smite! First Level!_" Rael roared, not finished with the assault. The sword, still inside the spider, unleashed a blast of radiant power. Twin d8 rolled, showing the spider took another 8 radiant damage. More patches of red appeared on the spider as it recoiled from the attack.

"You dare attack my sacred beasts?!" Nezznar snarled, gripping his staff.

"I dare and more _drow_!" Rael growled back.

Dorn felt his body lighten, signalling that it was his turn. He ran to the side, coming out of the darkness to his immediate left. He saw a pillar in his way and quickly slipped around it, getting a good line of sight on Nezznar himself.

Dorn quickly re-notched his arrow and pointed it at Nezznar, "_Hunter's Mark!_" Like back in Thundertree, an arrow marking appeared over Nezznar's head. The drow noticed it, his eyes widening before he saw Dorn with his arrow drawn back.

"HA!" Dorn called, firing the enchanted arrow. His dice rolled and came to a stop on 11. With Dorn's modifier now +8 thanks to his _Dexterity_, proficiency, his fighting style, and then using the +1 arrow, his grand total came to 20.

The arrow flew and struck Nezznar in the chest, making him grunt in pain. A d8 rolled, showing he took 6 damage from the dice, but then with modifiers of ability and magic, he instead took 11 piercing damage.

"NGH!" the drow grunted as the arrow sank into his chest. As he cluched the wound, a red d20 rolled. It came down on a 6 and did not change. Immediately Nezznar's teeth clenched tighter and the darkness containing almost half the room blinked out, rendering Kathra an Medea able to see.

"Oh ho, it's on now!" Kathra grinned, hefting up Hew. She charged to where Rael was fighting the spider he wounded and roared, swinging the axe down at the spider. 14 turned 21 was more than enough as the axe crashed onto the spider, making a flash of red which announced 7 damage. The spide gave off one more screech before it vanished in a blast of yellow blue.

"One down!" she grinned.

"Dirt-digging brute!" Nezznar cursed. He looked to his two bugbears, "What are you waiting for?! Kill them all!"

"RAAAAGH!" the two bugbears roared, picking up their morningstars and charged into the fray. One went right for Rael while the other targeted Kathra, seeing them as the biggest and closest threats. Both swung hard, roaring in the goblinoid language. Kathra sadly took a hit with a roll of 17, letting the Morningstar crash into her side in a flash of red, taking 12 piercing damage.

"_Parry_!" she cried, the wind knocking slightly out of her a red light grew on her side. The bugbear blinked as it realized kathra had lifted the axe in time, although the edges of the weapon still dug into her side. She still took 8 damage, as her superiority die landed on a 1 turned 4. It was better than the entire 12.

Rael saw his own opponent coming. Its own dice roll came up to an 8. Not nearly enough and he raised his sword, blocking the strike with an echoing crash as he gave a sharp push and knocked the bugbear back, "I will not fall to this!"

"Won't you?" Nezznar frowned. He lifted his staff once again, pointing the spider directly at Rael, "_Suggestion: Swing your sword at your rear left!_"

Rael blinked, the words of the Black Spider filling his words almost hypnotically. He grit his teeth, trying to shrug off the word since he knew Kathra was back there. Still, it sounded so reasonable since Kathra could just move out of the way…

From Rael's pouch, his d20 appeared in an attempt to save him. It came down, landing on a 14 turned 15. Suddenly, Rael shook his head and lifted his sword, threatening the enemies in front of him, "I will not be brought low with your vile magic either, _drow!_"

"Tsk!" Nezznar frowned, but he backed away, keeping his forces firmly between the party and himself. "My beauties! Bind the enemy! Poison them! Kill them!"

The spiders soon had their turn and began to screech, moving to follow their orders. One scuttled to the wall, climbing up the side. It eyed Rael greedily before it's abdomen moved up and squirted a glob of webbing right at the Paladin.

Rael's eyes widened as he saw the incoming glob. With it was the dice, coming to a total of 13, falling short of actually hitting Rael. The elf nimbly ducked out of the way, letting the webbing splatter harmlessly on the ground.

He didn't have time to sigh in relief as the spider in front of him lunged, it's legs reaching to pin him into place for a bite. Like it's comrade, its own dice rolled for an attack, totaling 22. Rael attempted to block the spider, but it moved in too quickly, singing its fangs in deeply into his shoulder.

"GAH!" Rael cried out, red coming from where the spider's fangs dug in. He punched the spider in the head before pushing it back, huffing as he felt the sting of the wound and the poison in his body. Aside from the 8 damage he took, Rael's dice tried to save him. He utterly failed a Constitution saving throw, taking another 10 poison damage.

"Rael!" Kathra gasped.

"I'm…I'm fine," Rael grunted. "I can keep going!"

"Woah!" Dorn cried as the last spider attempted to bite at him, it's fangs dripping with poison. It's dice rolled, totaling 17 and landing it's own bite on Dorn's torso. He roared in pain, slapping the giant arachnid's face to make it back away. He groaned, taking 6 damage while he tried to fight off the poison. Like Rael, he failed the saving throw, gagging as the poison made his vision swim, dealing another 8 poison damage.

Dorn's mind swam, struggling to keep his concentration up despite the pain he was in. Struggling to focus, his d20 rolled for a Constitution saving throw. Gaining exactly a 10, he managed to keep _Hunter's Mark_ going on Nezznar.

"We've gotta get rid of the spiders! All of them!" Dorn grunted, clutching the wound momentarily.

"Then let me clear the way!" Medea called. Lifting her hand, she pointed it in the direction of the battle, "_Scorching Ray!_" The fireballs ignited and flew at the three spiders, making the air sizzle as they went. D20s rolled for each fireball, coming to result 22, 14, and 19. It was enough as all three spiders were struck, screeching in pain as the scent of burning chitin and hair filled the room. Medea smirked as her d6 rolled and showed each spider took 9 damage.

"Nice shot!" Rael grinned, gripping his sword. Now we can finish it!" Rael roared and swung Talon down on the spider in front of him again. Another successful roll hit and talon came crashing down on the spider once again. Dealing 7 damage, he pumped another _Divine Smite_ into the spider, dealing another 4 damage. The spider didn't die, but it wobbled as it tried to remain standing.

"My turn!" Dorn growled. He eyed the spider which bit him. It was too close to use his bow, so he pulled out his greatsword and swung at it, trying to cleave it down the middle. It just barely struck on a 14, letting the blade strike it's body. It screeched like the others, taking another 8 damage. "Just freaking drop!"

"Not quite, but pretty good!" Kathra grinned. She eyed the bugbear in front of her Grinning, she hefted the axe and lunged for the bugbear. A total of 23 was more than enough, crashing Hew into the bugbear's chest, eliciting a roar of pain. The blade dug in deep, dealing 11 damage which caused the bugbear to stumble, but remain strong when the axe was pulled out.

Despite the wound the bugbear took, it simply snarled and swung at her a second time, intending on crushing the puny dwarf. Unlike the last time though, it failed it's roll and Kathra merely ducked under the swing with a grin on her face. The second bugbear aimed for Rael and much the same as its comrade, ended up bashing off of Rael's armor instead of his flesh.

"Useless the lot of you!" Nezznar scowled. He pointed his staff up once again, "_Darkness!_" For a second time, a dome of darkness covered the majority of the room, cutting off everyone's vision once again.

"Fucking shit!"

"GRAH!"

"Not again!"

"Screeeee!"

"Someone hit that guy!"

Despite the darkness, the spiders seemed to have an idea what was going on. They scuttled to the wals and began climbing up to the ceiling where the darkness did not touch. The one which was facing down looked down at him standing just outside of the darkness. It hissed and fired a stream of webbing down at him.

"Don't think so!" Dorn called, jumping out of the way of the webs, letting them splatter on the ground.

As one spider attempted to leave Rael's range, he did hear it move. Grunting, he swung at it blindly in the middle of the darkness. Sadly, his disadvantaged roll was miserable, being a natural 1. He cursed the darkness, as well as Nezznar, when he didn't feel his sword hit anything. "Dorn, Medea, someone break him!"

"Trying!" Medea huffed. Glancing around, there was not much space to try and see where she could strike. The pillars were not helping things either, obscuring more of her sight. Growling, she looked up to see the three spiders on the walls or pillars. She just barely saw them, but since the darkness wasn't material, she could shoot through it.

"_Scorching Ray!_" she shouted again, firing another volley of fire at the spiders. The shots were an example of contrasts. One was a natural 20, the second being a 19, and the last being 9. The spider over Dorn took the natural 10, the one which ran from Rael took the second, while the third on the east wall avoided it. The dice for the damage read 10. The one spider was incinerated while a second got scorched while the third remained the same.

"Two down!" Medea huffed.

"About to be three!" Rael roared. He swung hard in the direction of the bigbear he last remembered seeing. Talon swung at a disadvantage and sadly failed. What made it worse was the fact that one of the dice rolled a natural 20 while the other rolled a 4. His sword just cut the air and nothing else. "Fuck!"

Dorn huffed with his sword and dashed through the darkness before coming back out, slashing at Nezznar, making the drow scowl. The dice came up 16 turned 20, smashing into Nezznar's torso, dealing another 10 damage in a flash of red. The _Hunter's Mark_ then flashed, making another d6 appear for 1 more damage.

"You...wretch!" Nezznar snarled, pulling himself off the sword before kicking Dorn back into the darkness. He stumbled from the blow, looking woozy from taking so much damage. He shook his head, trying to maintain focus on his spell. His d20 rolled, but just came to a 9, making the darkness wink out a second time.

"He's almost down!" Dorn reported to his friends. When the Black Spider was covered in glowing red marks and his hair was disshelved to the point of painful, it was clear he was almost down for the count.

"Gotcha!" Kathra grinned. She turned to see the struggling Black Spider, but the bugbear snarled and stood in her way. "Okay, you wanna die first? Here we go!" She swung with her axe, aiming at the bugbear's neck. She totaled 19, letting Hew chop into the bugbear's shoulder, going deep in more red light, dealing 10 slashing damage.

"Give up yet?" Kathra snarled.

"Grrrrr!" the bugbear stumbled. It roared and swung down at her, moving faster than its wounded state would suggest. A duce roll of 15 had the Morningstar hit her hard, but Kathra activated her _Parry_ maneuver again, turning the 9 damage she first got turned down to 4.

"Nice…try!" Kathra grunted, keeping the Morningstar from digging too deeply into her shoulder.

The second bugbear roared and lunged at Rael. It barely managed a successful strike at a 18, smashing it's Morningstar into his shoulder, flashing ride at the impact. Rael grunted, taking another 8 damage. His knees buckled from the impact and his vision turned blurry from the pain. He was down to 4 hit points.

"Gotta…heal up," he gulped, keeping his hands on his sword, although it was tilting.

"You won't…bring me low," Nezznar growled. Gripping his staff, he lunged at Dorn to try and drive him back with his staff. His dice rolled, coming up His dice rolled, but came out pitiful at a 2. Oddly, it even went down to a 1. He simply stumbled and Dorn easily stepped aside.

One of the giant spiders hissed, a d6 rolling as it tried to collect new webbing in its abdomen. On a 4, it failed. Seeing it's master in danger though, it scrambled down the wall and made a beeline straight for Dorn's back.

Rael noticed the spider's approach and he saw his chance. He lashed out with a quick slash at the spider as it passed, rolling a total of 18. The sword came down, bisecting the spider with 10 damage, bisecting the spider before it vanished into the familiar lights.

The very last spider follow the path of the first, coming to Dorn's side, lunging for him with wriggling mandibles for another bite. Another successful roll managed to get to Dorn and bite deeply into his shoulder, matching the last bite that went in.

"Not again!" Dorn groaned, bashing the spider in the eyes to make it get back. He groaned as the poison came to his veins. His dice rolled to save once again, but failed, dealing another 9 poison damage for a total of 18. Once again Dorn's mind swam from the poison and he had to attempt to keep his concentration. Dice rolled and rolled a total of 20, keeping _Hunter's Mark _going.

Medea,now with a clear point of view, _wanted_ to go in and fight. She'd played plenty of Fighters, Barbarians, and other frontline classes. Instead, she almost had to physically restrain herself. Of course, she knew her job since her friends were keeping the fight pressed o Nezznar, "One more time. _Scorching Ray!_"

The flames fired a third time, aiming for the last spider and the two bugbears. Dice rolled again, coming up to 21, 22, and 21. The fireballs screamed through the air and crashed against the three monsters, igniting them with muffled explosions and screams of pain. The faithful d6 dice rolled at Medea's feet, coming up to 10 fire damage. The spider and the first bugbear vanished in the flames. The last bugbear stumbled back with a big red mark in its chest.

Rael felt his turn come and he knew this could be his chance despite his low hit points. Still, he knew if he tried to get in close to the Black Spider now, the bugbear would just whack him with an attack of opportunity. So instead, Rael pressed a hand to his chest, "_Lay on Hands, 20 points._"

The power of the elven god of nature flowed through Rael and his wounds began to dim, restoring desperately needed hit points, "Dorn! Finish this!"

"Gladly!" Dorn scowled. Picking up his greatsword, he swung it hard at the wounded Black Spider. His dice rolled and came to a total of 6, missing the drow as he nimbly dodged despite his injuries.

"I will not fall to a natural slave!" Nezznar roared, lifting his staff again.

"You'll fall to me you spider-fucker!" Kathra roared. She nubly moved to the corner Nezznar had painted himself into, hefting her axe. She took a wide angle so the bugbear wouldn't have an attack of opportunity and Dorn happily stepped aside to let her strike. She got in close as Nezznar's eyes widened as she attacked. Her attack roll came to a total of 22 and her axe came for Nezznar's head as his eyes widened in horror.

*KLANG!*

Only for Kathra's axe to shift at the last moment and the rusty iron struck Nezznar in the side of the head. The d8 came up as 10 damage. The light immediately went out in Nezznar's eyes and he dropped to the ground in a heap. Not dead, but clearly out cold.

"Now then," Dorn turned and pointed his sword at the last bugbear, "There's only two ways out of this for you and only one ends with you still breathing. What's it going to be?"

The bugbear frowned and looked around, clearly looking for a what to get out. However, with the party all around him and taken down to about half of his hit points, it was likely he'd be cut down. He also knew that there were four more enemies in the mine, not to mention the monsters still hanging around.

"Okay, okay," he growled, dropping his weapon and raising his hands. "I give up."

"Good," Dorn nodded. "Let's get some rope for these guys and-!"

"_ELDRITCH BLAST!_" female voice shouted from outside the room. There was a flash of light from the doors and for a moment, a figure was seen running by.

"You'd better run bitch!" Medusa's voice shouted as the Warlock came to a stop in front of the door. She looked inside and spotted the party. "You guys finish him?"

"We got him," Medea nodded. "Who were you shooting at?"

"The other drow. Looked like she was spying inside," Medusa sighed as the rest of her party arrived. "So…we win?"

"We won," Rael grinned.

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

The group was swift to detain Nezznar and his last bugbear. Securing their arms, they kept both under guard. It was rather easy since the bugbear was officially afraid of them and Nezznar was unconscious.

The group was quick to go through their belongings, relieving him of his staff, which was obviously a magic item. On the table he set up was a sack containing 190 electrum pieces, 130 gold pieces, 15 platinum pieces, even 9 gems of low quality and a mug inlaid with electrum worth some gold.

In Nezznar's pocket was a key with a head shaped like an anvil. Kathra did an Intelligence check with an advantage since she was a dwarf and recognized it as a key to a cleric's room, as the symbol was that for the god worshipped in the room. Finding the door on the west side, Kathra unlocked it and opened it to reveal dusty draper, but also a beaten unconscious dwarf on the floor, bound tightly.

"Oh no!" Kathra gasped with her friends behind her as they helped the dwarf onto the bed. Cutting the ropes, Aryn cast _Cure Wounds_ to help heal his injuries, which helped the dwarf begin to wake.

"Uh..wh...what?" the dwarf mumbled. He blinked blearily as he looked to see the eight strangers, "Who...who are you?"

"We're friends with your brother Gundren. We're here to rescue you," Aryn spoke softly to the weakened dwarf.

"Ah…" the dwarf nodded. "Good...good old Gundren…" he smiled weakly at the group, relief and happiness filling his gruff dwarven features.

"Come on," Dorn smiled, patting his shoulder. "Let's get you back to town so you can get some good food and ale into you. Gundren could use a familiar face."

"Aye…as much as I love a good mine, I've had my fill of this place for a while," the dwarf nodded. "Name's Nundro. Nundro Rockseeker.

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**Epilogue**

It was a few days travel back to Phandalin, but it was worth it to see Nezznar and his bugbear marched into town by the adventuring party and Nundro Rockseeker. Sildar was extremely pleased to see the group safe and was more than relieved to see The Black Spider captured.

Gundren woke up while the group was gone but was too weak and still injured to go after them himself. Both he and Nundro mourned their brother but were happy to see the other was still alive. He was pleased to see The Black Spider would get what was coming to him, although he wouldn't have been averse to taking his head either.

Word spread past through the frontier town about The Black Spider's capture. Knowing he was the one that organized the Redbrands through their boss just turned a lot of local hate on the drow who Sildar immediately locked up. Of course, whatever hate was there was drowned out as the people had yet another reason to celebrate as their new heroes saved their home.

Naturally, the Stonehill Inn became busy again once the sun went down and people had the time to party.

"So, there we were, facing down The Black Spider, the man looking as imperious as any drow could be," Romeus told the story to a group of awe-struck children. He was seated on a stool as the children sat around him. "With him were his ugly bugbears and hidden on the ceiling, his giant spider pets. Were we afraid? Yes, but we knew we would all be okay as we had our comrades, and all the skills we picked up since we began our adventure..."

As the children were taken by the story, Thalai, Aryn, Medusa, and Medea seemed to have some admirers of their own. Well, Medea had the typical boys hoping to woo the pretty half-elf. Medusa was chatting with some miners, drinking ale next to Kathra. Aryn was speaking with the tavern mistress about some wine she wished to try. Thalai was just arm wrestling some of the tough guys as a circle around them cheered with mugs of ale.

Rael was discussing the adventure with some of the elvish folk around town, a pretty woman who was a priestess of Tymora, Sister Garaele along with a retired adventurer, Daran Edermath.

Dorn just smiled at the cheerful atmosphere, sipping on his own drink. Somehow, his table became one for leaders. Sildar and Gundren had joined him not long after celebrations began. Gundren was still tender, but a dwarf would be dead before he turned down a mug of quality ale. Sildar just needed a break from his paperwork

"Your group did a lot of good here," Sildar smiled with his own mug. "You should be celebrating with them."

"I am. Good food, good drink, and new friends," Dorn smiled. "You just need to appreciate the moment before you can really have fun."

"Aye lad, but don't spend too long appreciating it or else you'll miss out," Gundren smiled weakly, still mourning his brother. Nundro was somewhere in Thalai's audience, cheering her on. "I don't know how to thank you lot. You've done your elders proud with this."

"Thank you," Dorn nodded. "Still, it was the right thing to do."

"Plenty of adventurers would have just taken the pay and left," Gundren snorted. "Still, when a dwarf owes a debt, they pay up pretty quick. Nundro agrees with me, so we both decided that as a reward, why don't you and your group here get 10 percent of the mine's profits?"

"MRK!" Dorn choked on his drink, making Sildar and Gundren chuckle before the ranger looked to his boss in shock, "Gundren, are you sure? With how valuable the mine will be, ten percent is a lot of money!"

"And you've earned every bit of it," Gundren grinned. "Saving a dwarf's life is no little thing, much less my brother and our life's work. Please, I insist. You lot could use the money to restore Tresendar Manor or maybe build some homes of your own if you like."

"W-well, that does sound good," Dorn nodded. "We do need our own home for are group and any future members…"

"Tresendar Manor is a good spot then," Sildar nodded. "I dare say, the people will enjoy having you around more than they did the previous owners."

"Okay. So, we can put the profits towards that and make a proper home," Dorn nodded. "A solid plan."

"Ah, good," Gundren lifted his mug. "To new friends and trusted partners."

"Aye," Silder agreed, raising his mug.

"Nothing better," Dorn nodded, meeting their mugs with his. A sharp clack and they all took a deep drink before taking a breath. "In any case, we'll need the downtime after all the excitement here."

"Can't disagree with that!" Sildar laughed.

The revelry continued into the night, which no one minded considering that until recently, they only had precious little to really enjoy. Now suddenly, the Redbrands were gone, their boss was defeated, their backer was in prison, and a legendary mine had been rediscovered, earning new prosperity for the area. For the moment, life couldn't get much better for the frontier town.

As the revelry went on, the doors flew open and one of the volunteer guardsmen stumbled in, panting and heavy for breath. He glanced around wildly before he saw Sildar and ran to his table.

"Sir! We have a situation!" he hissed urgently.

"What is it?" Sildar asked, turning entirely serious.

The volunteer looked around before hissing quietly, "The Black Spider has escaped!"

Dorn, Gundren, and Sildar's eyes widened in horror.

(LINE BREAK)

"I can't believe he escaped!" Kathra cried out in shock. "One night! He was there for one night! What is he, Houdini?!"

It was true. Nezznar had managed to escape from the prison. Not from any kind of scheme under his own power. It turned out one of the locals, a Halia Thornton who ran the miner's exchange disappeared the same night. When her home was examined, it was discovered that she was also secretly working for the Zhentarim, a black market group which had a finger in just about everything be it a little or a lot. The Black Spider had apparently been on their radar for a while and his kinds of skills could let him go far in their organization. They discovered the proof at Halia's home where documents from the Zhentarim and reports about Phandalin's situation were hidden away, but not from Sildar's trained eyes.

Fortunately, he didn't decide to bring any of his former employees with him, leaving the former Glasstaff rather irate.

"It's true, he's gone," Dorn nodded as he and his friends walked back to the inn from the Townmaster's Hall. "But we know his name, face, and his tactics. He's got the disadvantage now, even if he is running with the Zhentarim."

"I doubt we've heard the last of him though," Medusa frowned, gripping her staff.

"Probably not," Dorn shook his head as they approached the Stonehill Inn. Coming to the door, he gripped the handle and stepped inside…

...only for the group to find themselves back in The Crimson Dragon. All eight of them recognized it, and even the dwarf owner was behind the counter, wide awake and busy with his duties.

"Ah, welcome back! Congratulations on your first adventure!" the Barkeep smiled, polishing another mug. "Take a seat and we can wrap things up."

"Uh...what?" Rael blinked.

"Don't worry. Everything will be explained," the Barkeep chuckled, enjoying their shocked faces.

Looking to one another, the group came into the tavern and took a seat at one of the big tables. As they got comfortable, the Barkeep approached with the mugs of ale, passing them around.

"Well, you lot did it. You found and protected Wave Echo Cave from The Black Spider," the Barkeep praised. "So, how'd you all like it?"

"It was scary!" Aryn groaned. "The giant spiders and that dragon, Venomfang! I nearly died!"

"It was tough. Really tough," Rael scratched his head. "Makes me miss the tabletop version myself."

"No doubt," the Barkeep nodded. He looked to the ranger of the group, "What about you Dorn?"

"Well…" Dorn shrugged. "I noticed some rules weren't followed. Like the weight of coin and consumables. I mean, we really hulked ourselves up with coin."

"Oh boy did we," Thalai grinned, patting her own coin pouch.

"Well, the rules are up to the DM's discretion and since you were using up ammunition, food, and collecting coin, it would be a hassle to just keep track of all of it," the Barkeep shrugged. "You often don't have time to count coins and such in the middle of dungeon crawls unless you're at the end."

"True," Dorn nodded.

"Anyway, it's just one of the little things to help make adventuring easier the next time," the Barkeep shrugged.

"You make it sound like we're coming back," Aryn blinked.

"Ah, lass, adventuring isn't the kind of job you walk away from easily," the Barkeep shook his head. "Only the first-tier adventurers get that chance and sometimes not a very good one. You lot made an enemy with The Black Spider when you shattered his web. With the Zhentarim, he'll come back. Plus, there will be other adventures to be had if the DM feels like you're the ones to handle it."

"But you said we could go home when we finished the adventure!" Kathra cried out.

"Aye, you can and will. I never lied," the Barkeep reassured the dwarf woman. "This is just wrapping up a few loose ends before you go back."

"Fine," Thalai nodded. "So what happens with the Black Spider and Phandalin?"

"Oh, I doubt he'll come back until he's good and ready. His webs broken so he's going to need to rebuild and the Zhentarim are going to keep him on a short leash for a while yet," the Barkeep shook his head. "Relax and have some time off before your next big adventure comes."

"But we-!" Dorn began, but he was cut off by the polyhedral dice he and his friends held emerging from their pockets, forming rings which circled around them like neon lights. The groups' voices left them as the rings spun at high speeds before pillars of light engulfed them and they vanished from their seats. The Barkeep eyed the empty seats and the unfinished ale.

"Could have let them finish their ale and ask a few questions," the Barkeep huffed. "Ah well. More for me."

(D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D&D)

**Miles' House**

The ornate book which brought the eight teenagers to their adventure shuddered as it flipped through pages, flashing golden before light burst from the paper and formed the bodies of Miles, his sister, and their friends where they landed on their feet, wobbling, but otherwise unharmed.

"...are we back?" asked Rachel, looking around.

Miles looked around the familiar room, "Yeah, we're back."

The friends looked to each other and began heaving sighs of relief, glad to see familiar faces and places once again. They all immediately left, wishing to see more of the modern conveniences they missed, shows to watch, and junk food to inhale, no one speaking about Dungeons & Dragons, at least not yet.

The eight players would remember the adventure as the start of a new phase of their lives. It was one they weren't sure they wanted, but started a path down anyway. In the future, they would look back and smile, happy to know they had such adventures in their lives and remember them all fondly, the ups and the downs.

The book certainly remembered as its pages revealed gorgeous images of the eight heroes fighting Venomfang in his tower, all of them in dynamic poses as they prepared to attack or were attacking the evil dragon.

And everyone who had an adventure, always would seek another to find that rush like no other.

It was just a matter of time.

**Lost Mine of Phandelver: The End.**

**A/N: **Whoooooo! Done! Man, this was tiring since so many tools and props went into this. It is definitely not easy keeping track of four or even eight characters at a time on a sheet of paper. I'm really trying though so please don't roast me too hard.

The first draft originally had Nezznar taking on all eight party members with his goons. When I was new to D&D and hadn't played a real session, that seemed pretty cool. When I was working on the second draft, I realized the fight had been too easy and not really challenging for a BBEG. It worked for Venomfang, but not here, so I split the party so the original group fought the boss. I think it gave a better challenge.

I will admit in hindsight there could be some things the characters could have done differently, or places they could have gone. Unfortunately, the dice just didn't roll in those directions. In other cases, like maybe making more use of the Bard's inspiration or other smaller abilities, I simply forgot like any other player might do with their characters. This is more severe with me since I usually DM games of D&D instead of being a character. Still, nothing I can do but keep trying and get better at it.

Well, leave some love and if you guys want a sequel, please let me know. This fic was a lot of fun for me even if it was a lot of (paper)work.


	8. Announcement: Sequel Poll

Hello all you fans of the DD Guild who took the time to like the fic and put it in a favorites list or just took the time to read it. This is just a special announcement stating that I have decided to begin the next installment of the DD Guild's adventures. For the fun of it, I decided to make a poll of which adventure you want to see one member of the guild go on next. They are all published 5th Edition D&D adventures so if you have a favorite, vote for it. If you don't know the game but just like the story and a particular character, vote for that character. The top three choices will be published in that order.

The poll is only open for a limited time, so vote soon and don't delay.

Many thanks, Ten-Faced Paladin.


End file.
